


Into The Aether

by BlueEyedDoctor



Category: Call of Duty (Video Games)
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Apocalypse, Apocalypse Fix-it, Awkward Romance, Backstory, Caliginous Romance | Kismesis, Canon Backstory, Declarations Of Love, Developing Friendships, Drama & Romance, Epic Friendship, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Forbidden Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Love, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Love/Hate, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Military, Military Background, Military Backstory, Military Science Fiction, Platonic Romance, Post-Apocalypse, Retelling, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Slow Romance, Tragic Romance, True Love, Unrequited Love, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:20:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 65,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27183742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueEyedDoctor/pseuds/BlueEyedDoctor
Summary: A woman escapes one disaster for another; and she comes face to face with... The DoctorI'll be posting every other day as previously ❤ xxxxMy story got deleted. For my friends who have been keeping up with the story so far; I have uploaded everything plus tonight's new chapter. Really sorry guys I'm super upset that it happened.But! My story is also on Wattpad should any technological mishaps of doom happen again!****I don't own the IP, Activision does. Don't @ me pls x It's purely non-commercial fanfiction. For funsies.****
Relationships: "Tank" Dempsey/Original Character(s), "Tank" Dempsey/Original Female Character(s), Edward Richtofen/Original Character(s), Edward Richtofen/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 128
Kudos: 27





	1. A Warm Summer's Night

The pandemic, lockdowns, threats of war... the hopelessness of it all. The world truly felt like it was ending. My days became empty and my dream of becoming a doctor felt further and further away - how ironic. In order to cope, I found myself taking up old hobbies I now had time for again.

The doom and gloom loomed over me like a spectre and I found myself withdrawing further to try to escape the madness. I always found solace in gaming and, in particular, CoD zombies. It was my go-to when I was stressed - exams, a bad breakup - no matter what, it was always there.

I dusted off the BO1 disc as a vapour of voices flowed in through the open window. It was a hot, humid, summer night - even by Scottish standards. Though, there was something reassuring about hearing the street outside bustling with life again; it was a glimmer of how things used to be.

After inserting the disc I walked over to my bed where my dog was sleeping. I cuddled her and gave her a kiss before reached out to pick up my controller. The anxiety rattled through my body as my head spun with all my worries. I took a deep breath and pressed the PS button earning a confirmatory beep from the console. The loading screen welcomed me before I selected Black Ops 1. The game loaded and I entered a public lobby.

As much as I like Primis my heart was always set on the old school zombies with the Ultimis crew. To my surprise, and without much wait, I found a team despite the heavily modded lobbies. The familiar music began to play during the Kino Der Toten loading screen. After loading in I was greeted by a familiar pair of black gloves holding the starting pistol. Playing as Richtofen always made me happy as I could play the game while hearing all his funny quotes.

A few hours were spent on the map as we got to a high round before my console began to glitch and lag with the sheer number of zombies loading in at any given time. I persevered, subsequently falling just short of my best round. The feelings of doom and gloom felt long forgotten as I had immersed myself in the game.

It was now 11:59pm and I found a good team for Der Riese. I had zoned out momentarily as I waited for the game to load before realising I had been stuck on the loading screen for much longer than usual. I could no longer hear the other players' microphones and so I was forced to turn off the console and clean my disc.

I got up from my bed, phone in hand as I had been on instagram while I waited and made my way over to my PS3. I reached out to press the button to eject the disc before a jolt of electricity rushed through my left arm - before I knew what was happening... I blacked out.

_"A new toy to play with"..._

When I came to, I realised I was now the subject of many pairs of eyes all standing around me as I lay on what seemed to be a gravel surface. In a sudden rush of adrenaline, I tried to get up to run or at least put up a fight but my body felt heavy and battle worn. Their faces were obscured by the heavy rays of glowing moonlight as it shone directly above us. However, I noticed them all turn to look at one figure to the right.

 _"Do not try to move, fräulein. Jou are injured."_ The voice spoke in a thick German accent.

I felt my face crumple with confusion. The voice was eerily familiar. I gazed up at the moon as I lay my head back down almost forgetting the people around me. The moon was unnaturally bright... and quadruple the size. That's not possible! My scientific musings were cut short, snapping me back to the present as the figure turned to bark orders to the one next to him.

 _"Dempshey, if you could shtop eyeing ze fräulein like a piece of meat -- for just one second -- MAKE YOURSHELF USEFUL AND GET TAKEO."_ My ears pricked up in surprise.

"Did I really just hear him say "Dempshey" and "Takeo"?! I must be having some strange dream", I thought as I watched in a daze as the figure grumbled profanities under his breath and got up to leave. I was now left to stare at the two remaining figures in awkward silence. I chuckled in disbelief.

 _"What a weird dream. I'm dreaming about the boys.",_ I thought. I'm definitely dreaming. I concluded I'd fallen asleep playing the game and was having some kind of vivid dream.

 _"This can't be real and I can prove this to myself",_ I thought smugly.

So I tried to sit up again whilst trying to convince myself the searing agony in my body was just some silly phenomena manifested by my brain. Very scientific.

 _"I said SHTOP!"_ The German snapped angrily in frustration.

 _"I'm fine!"_ I snapped defiantly in my unintentionally gruff Scottish accent and the figure seemed to be completely taken aback as I watched his shoulders reflexively jerk in suprise.

 _"Oh no..."_ the other figure whispered to himself timidly as if anticipating a grand response.

 _"That was bad move, small woman.",_ before he leaned in to whisper to me.

 _"The German likes to give the orders --_ _ ***hiccup***_ _\-- not other way round"_ , before winking and moving away to take another slug of vodka

When his face was no longer overshadowed by the harsh light; I knew for sure it truly was Nikolai.

 _"It can't be, don't be daft!",_ I thought before the realisation that I had just snapped at what was potentially Richtofen cleansed the smirk from my face as I turned to him like a deer in headlights. We both looked at the German as he remained silent, this dream was becoming a nightmare...

The figure in question slowly knelt down beside me. As he came down to my level my stomach clenched as I could now make out the distinct visor and military uniform in the darkness. The light illuminated his face bringing out every sharp edge and detail of his face. A gloved hand reached out and I winced closing my eyes as I braced myself. I felt a hand help me into a sitting position as he held me up. I looked up as a light suddenly flashed into my eyes causing me to jump.

 _"Ah, zhis is quite zhe concussion jou have."_ He began darkly before his tone completely changed. He leaned next to my ear as he lowered his voice in a darkly manner,

 _"No vone vould ever dare shpeak to me like zhat_ **_ozhervize_ ** _"._

My heart raced and I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. This no longer felt like a nightmare, this was reality; I could feel his breath against my face. My blood ran cold while Richtofen pulled back to look at me before his face twisted into a devilish smirk. He looked deep into my eyes and I returned the gaze. His piercing blue eyes were cold and devoid of humanity. He kept his face mere inches from mine as he sized me up.

Suddenly, I felt two arms pick me up, his touch all too real, which made me nauseous at the realisation. This was really happening. The leather of his gloves creaked menacingly as he held me tight before looking at me expectantly. I awkwardly put my arms around his neck as I cringed at the sheer thought of having to do so.

He was definitely too close for comfort and it was clear to see he manufactured some pleasure at seeing my discomfort. I could feel the tangible texture of the heavy fabric of his jacket as I tried my best not to actually touch him. I could even see the grey stubble on the side of his jaw as each hair glistened in the moonlight. This was unbelievably real. He stood up with me in his arms and turned to who I confirmed to be none other than Nikolai.

 _"It sheems Dempshey is truly incompetent, I vill not vait for him any longer."_ Richtofen's voiced was laced with poison while his face contorted with hate before continuing,

 _"If zhat shtupid American ever does return tell him not to bother me vhilst I work on ze patient... or I vill slit his throat vhile he shleeps"._ The latter part rang out with danger. He really meant his words.

I didn't know what was more terrifying, the sheer evil and malice radiating from the doctor as he made the threat or the fact I was being carried away to be _'worked on'_. When I finished the thought we were already walking away from Nikolai and towards a large building. Panicked, I looked back at Nikolai as he drunkenly waved.

_"Goodbye, little woman. Was nice knowing you!"_

I quickly turned to look up at Richtofen as I felt lightheaded with disbelief. His face remained stoic throughout, regardless of my blatant gawking. My wide eyed expression was interrupted by a sudden rush of biting cold which caused me to shiver uncontrollably as the adrenaline wore off. I was now aware of the freezing air against my skin as it malevolently seeped into my bones.

Richtofen shifted his eyes down to the side to look at me without moving his head before he frowned,

 _"Vhy on earth are jou out here in little to nozhing? Vhere are jour clothes? Did zhey just_ ** _dishappear_** _?",_ the latter part was condescending and sarcastic. Dumbfounded, I stuttered,

 _"I -- um--",_ before I was slapped in the face with the realisation that I was in my underwear and a small cami; I had gotten ready for bed before I played the game. I felt completely vulnerable as I took in the revelation.

 _"Vell?",_ he snapped impatiently as he gave me side eye while he continued walking towards the building.

But how could I explain this? I seemed to be transported here exactly as I was when I went to eject the disc, right before the overwhelming jolt of electricity.

 _"I'll have to get back to you on that."_ I replied cooly before earning a raised eyebrow as he now turned his head to look at me with complete surprise before his eyes narrowed with malice.

 _"I'm afraid zhat does not bode vell for jou, fräu. I have many more questions for jou and if jou keep avoiding zhem I vill have to resort to more --"_ he paused, _"--_ ** _exciting_** _methods of extraction"._

His eyes were now wild and manic before he regained composure and pushed open the door to the building. The petrifying silence that followed began to suffocate me and the sound of his boots clicking against the floor lulled me into a hypnotic state drawn between confusion and fear.

He's going to torture me.

_End of part one..._


	2. Chapter Two: A Strange Night

It felt like an eternity before we reached the door to Richtofen's office as we navigated endless winding corridors. Richtofen's boots clicked in the metal edge of the stairs as he reached the landing. We took a right through double doors which lead to a corridor lined with doors on both sides. There was debris and paperwork strewn everywhere along with the odd splatterings of blood on the walls and doors. Each door appeared to have a nameplate although some were missing theirs. I tried to read as many names as I could as I passed. My eyes landed on one embossed nameplate in particular - which read _"Dr Sophia Ziegler"._

_"Is that really Sophia?!",_ I wondered. The next name I found read _"Dr Tobias Schuster"_ although part of the plate was severely cracked. The rest were either illegible or completely missing. As we neared the end of the corridor there were two doors left. Richtofen turned to the door on his right as I looked around him to see the name on the other; and as I suspected, the plate read _"Dr Ludvig Maxis"._ Surprisingly, Richtofen's name plate remained unblemished unlike the rest.

Richtofen nudged the handle of his office door with his elbow causing it to creak open. The room became bathed in light after a nudge of the light switch and I drank in the room. A large oak desk stood proud on the left half of the room near the windows. The right half was outlined by cluttered bookshelves, cabinets filled with various drugs and boxes of medical supplies. Near a cupboard door on the right side wall sat a makeshift medical table. The door lay ajar and I was able to make out the shapes of various boxes which likely housed paperwork and supplies.

My heart sank as I eyed the cabinet containing various needles, syringes and vials of unknown substances. Above the counters were different tools all hung on hooks which resembled those used in interrogations. The sink nearby looked rotten with aged blood crusted onto the sides and residual trails of blood had dripped down the outside of the bowl. Richtofen really did pride himself in his ability to extract whatever information he desired from his victims. He even had his tools on display.

My attention was brought back to Richtofen as he was about to lower me down onto the crude table before I requested to sit on a nearby chair which I suddenly spotted. He eyed it before reluctantly agreeing, however, he kicked it towards the desk before allowing me to rest in the chair.

_"Vhat vere jou doing? Playing with electricity?"_ The doctor remarked as he towered over me while examining my arm. I tried my best to remain stoic as his face frowned in deep concentration whilst he traced the burn marks. I stayed silent in the face of his question as he walked to sit behind the desk. I felt light with relief now that the distance grew between me and the doctor. Maybe I could run to the door before he could get to me I thought as I hurriedly tried to figure out a possible escape. He narrowed his eyes.

"I _can shee zhe cogs turning. Zhere is no vay jou'll be able to out run me. And zhe vindows? Ve are on zhe third floor. I'm afraid if jou vant any chance of leaving jou'll have to answer my questions."_ He said matter-of-fact. I could feel his eyes piercing through me until I relented and conceded to his questioning. Richtofen sat back in his large office chair as he sunk into the soft leather.

_"Ahh, jou are much more clever zhan I thought!"_ Richtofen sang before continuing,

_"Though...I vould have enjoyed hearing jour delicious cries of agony had jou refused"._ A shiver ran up my spine as I tried to keep a neutral face and hide how disturbed I truly was by his words. Richtofen, on the other hand, was busy savouring the thought before composing himself. I felt physically sick watching him; in fact, I felt nauseous at his mere existence.

Richtofen rested his elbows on the arms of the chair before assuming a steepling position with his hands. He lent into his gloved hands as if in deep thought, never taking his eyes off me with that sinister glare.

_"Firsht question, vhat is jour name?",_ he murmured, half expecting more silence.

_"Kiana",_ I spoke calmly and timely.

_"Excellent, so jou_ _ **DO**_ _have a_ _ **name**_ _, who vould've thought?",_ a smug smile crept across his mouth. He clearly enjoyed the effect he had on people.

_"Shecond question, vhere are jou from?"._ Now that was a tough one, I wasn't sure if he'd even believe me if I told him the truth. The less said the better I thought.

_"Scotla--"_ I replied before being cut off.

_"Vhen are jou from?"_ He snapped leaning over the desk, clearly eager to get to the more interesting questions.

_"I can tell from zhe clozhing und..._ _ **piercings**_ _und_ _ **markings**_ _on jour skin zhat jou are not from zhis time. I know all about time travel jou know",_ he grinned and gave me a coy look. The situation was beginning to take it's toll on my nerves and I felt a strange feeling of frustration boil up. I replied abruptly with _"2020"_ before earning another raised eyebrow. My patience was nearing it's limit and I was becoming angrier at the absurd situation I found myself in.

_"You wanted me to answer your questions, did you not?"_ I added, now folding my arms. My face no longer hid my anger and annoyance. Richtofen sat back again. He analysed me with calculating eyes as we sat in silence for what felt like hours. I never broke his gaze and I held my ground, now impervious to his attempts at intimidation. I'd had enough; I'd been transported into a fictional game and now subjected to interrogation by a fictional character. No, I wasn't going to allow myself to be treated like this let alone allow myself to suffer at the hands of a nutcase.

_"I shee"_ , he finally spoke _. "Zhis concussion sheems to have affected jour brain causing zhis..."_ he paused closing his eyes before finishing,

_"...aggression"._ His voice hung on the word, savouring it's connotations.

_"Ozhervise, jou vould not be displaying such suicidal behaviour",_ he said returning to rest his chin on his hands. I sat back astounded before my only response was to let out a small laugh at his choice of the word _'suicidal'._ I no longer cared about what he could do to me; I was done with this game, literally and figuratively. Richtofen pursed his lips and his brow furrowed in anger. I suppose no one had ever spoken to him like this but no one had ever been in the situation I found myself in. I had nothing to lose if I was going to be stuck in a video game world. I mean, how was I going to get back home anyway?

I was torn from my thoughts as his chair suddenly screeched back across the floor and he stood up to tower over the desk at me. The rage roared behind his glare while my face remained angry but now also apathetic, I even surprised myself. I just couldn't bring myself to care about the ever escalating situation I found myself in. And everything I was doing made him angrier. Then, as quickly as it came, the rage left Richtofen's face. He sat back down and adjusted his tie.

_"Zhis apathy is very interesting. Und as much as I vould_ _ **love**_ _to disect jour brain it pains me to admit that I need jou alive in order to further observe jou, perhaps zhat vill come_ _ **later**_ _",_ he said as he looked up at me through menacing eyes. All I could do was blink. Brilliant, that was definitely what I needed to hear.

_"Zhis conversation is pointless vhen jou are under zhe effects of zhis head injury. Jou vill_ _ **shtay**_ _here tonight so I can observe jou without interruption from zhe others. Is zhat_ _ **clear**_ _?",_ he commanded.

_"I don't think I have much of a choice now do I?"_ I retorted. It was safer to let him think this explained my behaviour; plus I doubt he would even believe the truth anyway. But this was going to be a long night. How could anyone sleep with a psychopath watching their every move like a hawk? Maybe if I closed my eyes I'd be back home again. Maybe that's all I needed to do, staying awake would just keep me in the game; and logic was out the window by this point. So I tried to ignore him and tried to sleep on the uncomfortable chair.

The wooden chair dug into my back, it certainly wasn't like Richtofen's. I laughed to myself at the thought that he would even subject unfortunate visitors to his office to _some_ form of torture. I doubt any of his colleagues even wanted to enter the threshold of that door. My thoughts dissipated as the cold air twisted through the room; I realised I was freezing as the adrenaline wore off causing my body to visibly shiver. Richtofen got up out of his chair and produced a blanket of some kind from the supply cupboard. He firmly shook it out, resulting in the blanket unfolding and kicking up some dust in the room.

_"Here",_ he grunted.

_"I vill never undershtand how on earth someone can just_ _ **lose**_ _zheir clozhes.",_ he added. I took the blanket and proceeded to wrap myself up like a burrito. The cold stung my face and I tried to pull the blanket up as much as possible. I managed to shift in my chair to a more comfortable position. Richtofen sat back down at his desk and continued staring at me unblinkingly.

_"Some bedside manner you've got",_ I replied in my Scottish twang. Scots always had that ability of always sounding dry and sarcastic which I doubt translated well with Germans. Richtofen blinked, as if being yanked from a daze. Once he processed my comment he narrowed his eyes.

_"Is that how you treated patients in medical schoo--",_ I cut myself off as I remembered Richtofen probably hadn't gone the ' _official route'_ as a doctor. He raised an eyebrow and sat up straight.

_"Und vhy does my medical training concern jou?",_ he said affronted.

_"I don't think observing patients is as intense as maintaining an unwavering glare as they try to sleep",_ I said laughing a little. I was trying to be a bit more lighthearted.

_"Und vhat makes jou uncomfortable about my_ _ **intensity**_ _?",_ he enquired creepily as he leaned forward hoping to thoroughly freak me out.

_"Oh, nothing doctor. But I'm a bit tired from today's shenanigans so I'd appreciate you dialing the intensity back a wee bit",_ I said drly, stifling a laugh. Richtofen seemed taken aback that his efforts were in vain. He sat back again never taking his eyes off my face. He was clearly unsure what to make of me.

_"I vill observe jou without impeding jour ability to shleep,_ _ **as requested**_ _",_ he said quietly. And with that, I managed to get myself settled as I prayed that sleep would get me out of this situation. The thought of seeing my Mum and my pupper again helped me drift off.

I awoke a few hours later to find Richtofen asleep. I sighed at the realisation that I was still stuck here. But it was worth a try at least. _So much for observing me, I thought._ I felt a gnawing pain in my left arm and looked down to inspect the injury. _Some doctor he is, he didn't even treat my arm, I scoffed._ I got up and quietly tiptoed over to the medicine cabinets which contained the supplies. I took out some disinfectant and cleaned the wound, it was definitely a burn and I decided against using a bandage as the blisters were not broken. I tried to quietly disinfect the wound which snaked up my forearm. The pain was thankfully bearable and I didn't wake Richtofen up with my grimacing and grunts.

I patted the area dry with some gauze, returned to the chair and looked at the sleeping German. He didn't look as evil and grumpy when he slept, though, I doubt he ever slept much. His face was worn with self-neglect as he looked gaunt and underfed. I felt a pit in my stomach. It was rather sad seeing him like this - when he wasn't animated with his usual dangerous persona. He looked like any typical middle aged man, minus the uniform. You could've passed him by in the street with taking much notice. The only thing of note was his scar really. A consequence of surrounding yourself with war.

My musings were interrupted by him shifting in his chair; I quickly closed my eyes in case he woke up to find me staring at him. After a minute or two I opened one eye to find him still fast alseep. I took it as my queue to do the same and, after a bit of trouble, managed to fall asleep again.

_End of part two..._


	3. Chapter Three: Wake Up Call

The daylight flooded through the windows as the rays of sunlight warmed my skin. It was the first time I'd felt warm and comfortable since arriving here but sadly I felt myself beginning to wake up. My eyelids twitched open as I slowly allowed my eyes to adjust to the light. Once everything came into focus, I awoke to the same pair of eyes watching me intently. 

_"Oh, not you again"_ I groggily blurted out, frustrated that I was still in the game. I was taken aback at saying it as I genuinely didn't mean to be so harsh, it just slipped out. 

_"Guten morgen to jou too."_ Richtofen hissed sarcastically.

 _"I shee zhe aggressive behaviour is shtill vith us"_ , he said as he rested his chin on one hand. I could see his mind ticking away as he assessed my condition. I tucked the blanket tighter around me as I sat up to adjust my back which no doubt was now dented with the chair. I could just imagine the bar across the chair being imprinted into my back as I shuddered at the thought of having to do that another night. I really wish I had my bed.

Suddenly, our attention was drawn to the door where muffled male voices on the other side could be heard before a deep voice exclaimed,

 _"He's been in there all night?! God knows_ ** _what_** _he's done to her. The only chick we meet for miles and you leave her with that_ ** _creep_** _?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME, TAK?!"_ It was unmistakably Dempsey's voice. 

There was no response from Takeo as the sound of footsteps stomped towards us. The hall echoed as the sound reverberated through the building. As the noise reached a crescendo, everything became silent as it approached the door. After a second, the door began to rattle; the banging was so strong it could've taken the door off the hinges. 

_"Oh here ve go."_ The doctor rolled his eyes. As he stood up and adjusted his jacket. 

_"Richtofen, you_ ** _better_** _open up or I'll break this door down and kick your boney ass."_ I couldn't help but laugh a little before Richtofen caught me and narrowed his eyes. I wiped the smile from my face and sat quietly watching the scene unfold. To my surprise, Richtofen moved toward the door and opened it as he was told. I turned in my chair to get a better view of the drama. 

_"Where is she kraut?!"_ Dempsey snarled, baring his teeth at Richtofen. Richtofen gestured to me and Dempsey poked his head in the room as he looked around before spotting me.

_"Did he hurt you, honey? I swear if he did_ **_anything_ ** _I'll wring his neck out."_

_"I believe I left clear orders zhat I vould slit jours if jou interruprted my vork."_ The German replied nonchalantly. He was clearly unamused by Dempsey's heroic act.

 _"She's a_ ** _human being_** _! Not a fuckin experiment!"_ Dempsey cursed. As he was about to make another threat the doctor cut him off. 

_"I vould like jou to get zhe fräu somezhing to vhear. Ve cannot have her valking around like zhis, especially vith a_ ** _predator_** _around such as jou, Dempshey."_ This only made Dempsey angrier but he held his words before turning to me. Richtofen sniggered triumphantly.

 _"Stay right there! I'll be back as quick as I can and then we can get you the hell away from this_ ** _freak_** _."_ And with that, Dempsey sprinted down the hall and out of sight. Richtofen slammed the door shut and stalked his way back to me - arms behind his back. He stared into my eyes unblinkingly before sitting back down at his desk. He removed his visor and ran his hand through his hair to sweep it all back. I watched as I waited for him to finally speak.

_"Jou know, fräu. I shtill vant answers from jou. I vill be vatching jour every move zhe very minute jou shtep outside zhis room. Zhe shtupid American cannot keep jou from me,_ **_remember zhis_ ** _."_

We stared at each other in pure silence. I didn't feel his statement required an answer - not even a sarcastic one. I sat awkwardly waiting for Dempsey to return as Richtofen sunk back into his chair - hands steepled as his eyes bore into me. After what felt like an eternity, we heard the sound of heavy boots running down the hall towards us. We both looked at the door expecting Dempsey to burst in any second. I let out a small sigh of relief which caught Richtofen's attention causing him to eye me suspiciously. Dempsey returned bursting in through the door as expected. 

He passed me a small ladies uniform which I gratefully took. I remained seated with my new clothes hoping one of the men would suggest where I could change. Richtofen raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled, as to why I wasn't getting changed. Dempsey cleared his throat catching Richtofen's attention.

 _"Uh, Doc. The little lady would like some_ _ **PRIVACY**_ _before she changes"_ , Dempsey shouted clearly frustrated by Richtofen's lack of social intelligence. Richtofen took a second to think before suggesting the supply cupboard. _How glamorous, I thought_. 

_"Look doc, just wait outside with me until she changes. There's no way I'm letting her be cornered in a cupboard with you stalking around outside"_ , Dempsey said as he bartered for my privacy. Richtofen's glare shifted from Dempsey to me and back before he finally agreed to wait in the hall. 

The two men stepped outside before the door clicked shut leaving me blissfully alone in my own company. I jumped up and slung the blanket onto the chair. I unfolded the skirt and slipped it up over my hips. Next, I took the once white blouse that was now more a shade of dusty grey and threw it on. The shoes Dempsey chose were a sensible practical boot but at this point any fashion sense was null and void so I happily put them on.

I walked over to the sink and looked in the mirror above it. I looked like crap but that was expected given the circumstances. I tried to fix my hair a bit in a vain attempt to look a little presentable. Unsurprisingly, my paradise of solitude was interrupted by Richtofen banging the door impatiently.

 _"For goodness sake, how long does it take shomeone to get dressed?! I better not find anyzhing dishturbed in my office or I'll--"_ , Richtofen was cut off by Dempsey.

" _Shut the fuck up and give her some peace. I bet she's glad to get a minute away from you! Ladies take longer than us -- Oh wait, you wouldn't know_ ** _would you_** _?"_ Dempsey butted in before the last sentence echoed in the hallway with smug delight. He really knew how to push Richtofen's buttons. Suddenly, I heard loud thumps as the two men seemed to exchange blows.

I chuckled as I finished getting dressed and went to sit back down again. I called out to the two that I was done as both clamoured in trying to squeeze through the doorframe at the same time. It was like a comic act really. I stifled a laugh before Richtofen eyed me suspiciously before making sure nothing in his office was disturbed or missing. I wouldn't put it past him to have a photographic memory. 

_"Can I_ ** _please_** _go now?"_ I asked impatiently before Richtofen sat down glared at me. After a small silence, he finally gave me the nod to leave. Dempsey was waiting at the door as he offered me his hand before we darted down the hallway. I could feel Richtofen's glare bore into my back as I imagined him standing in the doorway watching us flee that dreaded office. But I didn't care! I felt so relieved to be out of there!

 _"C'mon, let's meet the guys!"_ Dempsey cheered as we made our way out of the building. We made our way down the stairs and through the foyer. Dempsey opened one of the entrance doors and i was met with a refreshing sweep of crisp cool air. 

_End of part three..._


	4. Chapter Four: Comrades

Dempsey and I made our way across the grounds towards the building opposite. Dempsey's strong strides suddenly stopped. Surprised, I took a second longer to realise before I stopped as well and turned to see what was wrong.

 _"I got so caught up in savin' ya I haven't even asked you your name! What's your name, sweetheart?"_ Dempsey said jovially as he let out a deep laugh. He always seemed so upbeat, especially in the face of his predicament.

 _"Kiana"_ , I replied quietly.

 _"That's a pretty name, so how'd you get here?"_ Dempsey bellowed in his deep voice; every question was so enthusiastic. Oh great, I thought. If the doc isn't going to understand then how can I hope Dempsey will?

 _"Um, I don't know to be honest. The doc said I have a concussion and it's affected my memory or something"_ , I said; inwardly praying that he'd buy it but the look on his face suggested he did.

 _"Well, Kiana. You're_ ** _more_** _than welcome to stay with us until you get your memory back. I'll protect ya!"_ Dempsey sang as he gave his signature cocky grin.

 _"Thanks"_ , I said with a smile.

 _"Have you seen the freakbags yet?"_ Dempsey asked. I frowned, I had forgotten all about them to be honest. Thinking about it, last night passed without a single one; surely we should have seen at least a couple?! _Was that normal, I wondered?_

 _"Freakbags?"_ I feigned ignorance hoping he'd put it down to the concussion. Dempsey's eyes widened with shock,

 _"You mean you've made it_ ** _this far_** _without runnin' into one of those things?! Damn, but you're gonna have to fight them eventually. Do you know how to defend yourself?"_ Dempsey asked, genuinely concerned. To be honest, I didn't really know what to say because I thankfully never found myself in a situation where I had to. _Wow, how do you actually fight a zombie?_ My mind went blank. This was so much more different than the game.

 _"Not really"_ , I replied as Dempsey quietly nodded as if I confirmed his suspicions.

 _"So I guess you don't know how to use a gun too?"_ Guns aren't legal in my country so there were little to no opportunities to learn. Trying to gauge the best response - I went with,

_"Guns aren't legal in Scotland, so no."_

Instead of another somber nod, Dempsey looked at me with a big grin. He was such a big kid.

 _"I'll teach ya! You'll be killing marrow-maggots in no time! I can keep ya safe in the mean time too... oorah!"_ He finished his sentence with a wink and I laughed to myself that Dempsey still managed to get a flirt in somewhere. I suppose it was going to start sooner or later.

 _"C'mon"_ , Dempsey said as he offered his hand again. We began to traverse the grounds of the facility as Dempsey led the way. We made it to the other building where the other two men where sitting. Dempsey burst through the door excitedly as if he was eager to show off his new toy. _Great, he thinks he has a girlfriend._ I laughed as I rolled my eyes. The first man turned to me and bowed gracefully.

 _"My name is Takeo, warrior of the Emperor"_ , Takeo said politely. I smiled and told him my name earning another bow from him.

 _"And I am Nikolai! Is nice to see you survived the night small woman!"_ The Russian slurred before taking another swig of his vodka. It was funny to see Nikolai was just like his in-game self but sadly the smell was not as amusing. Takeo drew him a look of disgust,

_"Your stink is offensive to our new comrade, Nikki. You bring much dishonour!"_

_"Ah, shut up"_ , Nikolai said before turning back to his vodka and flashing me a drunken smile.

 _"Yeah, I don't think I'll forget how_ ** _USELESS_** _you both were last night. Especially you,_ ** _Takeo_** _, I expected better"_ , Dempsey lectured, narrowing his eyes at Takeo.

"W _e need to look out for Kiana. She doesn't know how to use a gun yet but when I'm done teachin' her she'll be a great shot!"_ Dempsey mused smugly. The other two men gave me a look of surprise as, they too, likely wondered how I'd made it this far without being able to defend myself. And then the anxiety hit me. _How the heck was I going to kill someone?_ The zombies were still people after all. I felt nauseous at the thought of having to kill in what was no longer a video game but now reality.

 _"You okay, hun?"_ Dempsey was now turned to look at me while the other two men had gone back to their previous tasks.

 _"I'm fine"_ , I managed to say though I was unable to hide how I felt.

 _"You'll get used to it"_ Dempsey said as if he knew exactly what was troubling me.

 _"I sure hope so_ ", I sighed.

We spent the afternoon cleaning out guns and sorting rounds before Dempsey turned to me and said.

 _"Are ya up for helping me find some grub? I have to do all the cooking and I bet you're pretty hungry by now!"_ Dempsey grinned as he saw the smile creep across my face at the mention of food.

 _"There's a canteen on the west side and everyone's getting real tired of my bad cooking. Think you could help me make something good for once?"_ Dempsey said excitedly at the thought of a decent warm meal.

 _"Do you think women are good at cooking_ ** _by default_** _?"_ I said sarcastically before laughing to let him know I was just pulling his leg.

 _"Let's goooo!"_ Dempsey sang as we marched happily to our cooking duties. As we made our way there; I looked around at the run down buildings which made up the facility. The barriers from the game were all there in their usual place. It was exactly like Der Riese. It felt like I'd already been here - albeit in game. I saw a familiar green glow as we turned the corner to be met with the Speed Cola machine. It was such a welcome surprise, I'd forgotten all about perks; it really was just like the game. Dempsey saw me staring at it so he took me over to show me it.

 _"Yeah, so we found these machines that dispense drinks. They all do different things. This one helps you reload faster!"_ he explained. I touched the machine and felt the cold metal as it whirred and hummed away.

 _"You know what? Let's take a detour and I'll show you_ ** _my_** _favourite one"_ , Dempsey said with an excited grin. I already knew it was going to be Juggernog but I was still excited to see it in person. We made our way up the stairs and over the catwalk to it's usual place. I noticed the bouncing betties on the wall as we rounded the corner before seeing the familiar red glow. Dempsey stopped to show me them.

 _"Oh, these are a good time! Just plant one and when a freakbag gets close it'll explode!"_ Dempsey was like a kid in a candy store and I couldn't help but smile watching him.

We then continued to the Juggernog machine, Dempsey came close to the machine before a bottle suddenly dropped. I jumped at the sudden clank of the glass as it made it's way out the machine. I had no idea how Dempsey did it; he didn't insert a coin or anything.

 _"Yeah, I dunno how it works. I just come up to the machine and it's like it knows I want a drink. Kinda neat but also kinda creepy"_ , Dempsey explained as he reached down to pick up the bottle. He knocked off the top and passed me the bottle. I happily took it as I was definitely very thirsty by now.

 _"Thank you"_ , I said as you could hear the satisfaction in my voice after having a cold thirst quenching slug. Suddenly, I felt much more stronger and less fatigued. _I felt totally empowered!_

 _"Heh, it's pretty neat isn't it? That feeling never gets old"_ , Dempsey mused as he picked up on my newfound strength. I finished the drink and we made our way to the canteen. Once we got there, the kitchen was old and dirty. It looked horrendous to be honest. I didn't know where to start - everything needed scrubbing!

Dempsey watched as I went into chef mode and clocked the food cupboard. I entered and began looking at the tins. My shoulders slumped after realising they were all in German - _don't know what else I was expecting to be honest!_

 _"I like to think of it as a lucky draw!"_ Dempsey said trying to remain upbeat. I knew such tiny amounts of German but I managed to pick up tins which were more or less suitable for a meal. Dempsey began to scrub some pots and pans while I searched for a can opener. It was approaching evening as the sun had long since reached it's peak. I took note that dinner time was fast approaching and we would have hungry bellies waiting.

I opened the first tin which contained chicken - the meat of the gods! For tinned chicken - it smelt wonderful. The next tin contained carrots as _'karotte'_ was fairly simple to understand. Once I got to the third tin I prayed it would be good like the others as I had no idea what _'kartoffel'_ was. The can opener expertly cut through the metal to reveal boiled baby potatoes. I couldn't contain my excitement as Dempsey turned to see what was in the tins. When he saw their contents he looked as excited as me.

 _"You did great!"_ Dempsey sang as he grabbed me and picked me up. We were both so happy to see some nice food. He spun me around before letting me down and hurriedly went back to cleaning the pots so we could get started cooking. I went back to the food cupboard and decided we were going all out tonight so I told Dempsey we needed some green peas. I made my way back to the cupboard away from where Dempsey was at the sink and began trying to decipher the German.

 _"Grüne erbsen"_ , a voice spoke gently - giving me a fright. I ended up knocking over a couple of cans before turning to the source of the voice. Richtofen was sitting in a room on the other side of the wall. There was a large hole in the wall away to the left which was now illuminated by the light from the neighbouring room. Strangely, the area had been previously pitch black and I was too scared to investigate it earlier. _Was he there the first time I came in... just without the light on, I thought?_ Was he just standing watching me in the dark? A shiver ran up my spine as I tried to bury the thought.

I stood up and peered down; he was seated at a desk in a room full of paperwork. It must've been some kind of records room. The facility was quite packed together so I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised. However, I was a little weirded out that'd he'd called out to me without even turning to look at me. It was like he knew I was now alone. He was completely buried in paperwork as piles stood tall in stacks around him. He **must've** been heard Dempsey and I in the kitchen - _I tried to tell myself._ He must've arrived after we were in here the first time. I gingerly picked up the tins I'd dropped and picked up the correct one. I kept looking at Richtofen's back as he flicked through papers like I wasn't even there.

 _"Thanks"_ , I muttered a bit shakily before he gestured, again, without looking around.

 _"Not at all"_ , he said - still engrossed in his work.

_End of part four..._


	5. Chapter Five: Food! Glorious Food!

After an hour of cooking and rounding up spices and herbs; Dempsey and I finished making dinner. The smell was absolutely intoxicating! We nibbled some carrots and peas as we brought the food back to Takeo and Nikolai. My stomach clenched at the thought of being the one have to go up to Richtofen's office to bring him his meal. Dempsey had protested at giving him any of the food at all before I'd convinced him it was the right thing to do.

We opened the door to the living quarters where we'd seen the two men before. The smell of food wafted in with us as Nikolai perked up.

 _"Do I smell food? This does not smell like Dempsey's cooking!"_ Nikolai said, with strong suspicion, as he turned around to see us now at the table filling out the plates.

 _"Small woman, did you make this?"_ Nikolai asked as he came closer to watch. I gave him a nod as I finished filling out his plate before I was enveloped in two large arms - as well as the fetid stench of vodka - and given a tight bear hug. Dempsey laughed as Takeo shook his head, clearly displeased by the Russian's outburst of affection.

Nikolai put me down before grabbing his plate and shuffling off to sit at his makeshift bed. The room was fairly large but you could still hear him scoff and slurp as he devoured the meal. Takeo had taken his plate off Dempsey and was now seated at the table as he gracefully ate away.

Dempsey put my plate at an empty seat and beckoned me over. I was torn between taking a seat and giving Richtofen his food. After a small eternity of inner conflict; I knew it was the _right_ thing to do to see to Richtofen first. As much as I _dreaded_ seeing him. Dempsey read the look on my face and dejectedly passed me Richtofen's share.

I hurried across out into the cold air towards the dreaded building. My heart raced as I wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. I made my way up the stairs and turned to make my way down the hallway towards Richtofen's office. My boots tapped the tiled floor with each labored step as my mind was trying to talk me out of it before I got there. Unfortunately, I did make it to his door and stood bracing myself before knocking.

His room sounded empty and I began to wonder if he was even in before a voice called out.

 _"Are jou just going to stand zhere and not even_ ** _knock_** _?"_ Richtofen spat from the other side of the door. It's so creepy how he can sense your presence like that.

 _"I brought you some food; you should eat, Doctor"_ , I tried to say calmly.

 _"I don't vant anyzhing. I can feed meinshelf if I vish. I've long since known not to eat anyzhing zhat American has prepared."_ Richtofen replied defiantly. I was getting hungrier and just wanted him to hurry up and take the food.

 _"Well, Doctor._ ** _I've_** _cooked dinner this time and I'm going to have to get you to try it so you can tear my cooking abilities to shreds and tell me_ ** _all_** _about how disgusting it was"_ , I said hoping to coax him out with some baited sarcasm.

Suddenly, the door flung open and Richtofen towered over me. He cautiously eyed the food before leaning down to sniff at the plate I was holding. His face was contorted in his usual look of disgust.

 _"It looks good and it smells good - doesn't it?"_ I said trying to tempt him into taking the plate.

 _"Nein, I don't vant any!"_ Richtofen snapped. He was acting like a complete child.

 _"How will you be able to tell me my food is crap? I need someone who's criticism is as_ ** _unbridled_** _as yours!"_ I cried, deliberately being over-dramatic. Richtofen narrowed his eyes and removed a glove before proceeding to stick a finger into the gravy before consuming the tiniest piece of chicken.

 _"It is thoroughly disgusting und I hate_ ** _every_** _bit of it. Jou are dismissed."_ He replied before putting his glove back on. His face showed anything but disgust as it was plastered with utter bliss despite his best attempts to hide it. I stood my ground still holding the plate expectantly. Richtofen had turned to walk away before realising I hadn't moved an inch. He swung back around before giving me a look of confusion.

 _"Vhat? Vhy are jou shtill here?"_ Richtofen snapped as he demanded an answer.

 _"Take the bloody food"_ , I said, letting my accent come through a little thicker.

 _"Nein!"_ Richtofen said before slamming the door shut in my face. My stomach began to rumble again impatiently but I was determined to make him take the food.

 _"If you insist, but I'll leave it_ ** _here_** _on this tray at your door. It'll be waiting_ ** _right here_** _"_ , I sang as I placed the food at his door.

 _"Don't vant any"_ , he sang back sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes and walked away down the hall before jumping into an office just before the double doors. I'd allowed the doors to swing to let Richtofen think I'd left before waiting to see what would happen. After a few minutes, his office door creaked open and he popped his head out into the hallway. I remained concealed as I watched him make sure everything was clear before he quickly swiped the tray and scuttled back into his office - making sure to quietly close the door.

I held in a giggle before tiptoeing out and making my way back to the others I was thoroughly amused that I managed to get him to eat something. I sat down at the table where Dempsey was still eating at the seat next to me.

 _"He really took it?! I can't get that damn kraut to eat anything these days"_ , he said, amazed that I returned empty-handed.

 _"He's not that complex, Dempsey. He's a man after all. Food is every man's weakness"_ , I said nonchalantly as I tucked into my food.

 _"I didn't even think he was human"_ , Dempsey replied with a mouthful of food. I rolled my eyes and laughed before saying.

 _"Well tonight has proved otherwise"_.

The sun had now set and Takeo and Nikolai were fast asleep - in preparation for night watch. The men had become uneasy at the lack of zombies as rarely did it last more than a day without encountering at least one. Dempsey yawned loudly and stretched out his limbs before turning to me

 _"We should get some sleep, Tak and Nik will be on night watch"_ , He said reassuringly before getting up. I followed Dempsey as we entered the room where the men in question were sleeping. Dempsey called out:

 _"_ ** _WAKEY_** **_WAKEY_** _"_ , at the top of his lungs before the two men jumped up in alarm before drawing looks at the marine. Takeo got up and begun getting ready whereas Nikolai lay back down and snored away obnoxiously. Frustrated, Dempsey walked over to the Russian and kicked him awake.

 _"Get up! It's your turn to watch"_ , Dempsey said to no avail as it only caused the sleeping Russian to respond with a series of grunts and mumblings. This angered Dempsey as he made his way to Nikolai's bag and pulled out the two bottles of vodka he had stashed away.

_"I swear Nik, I'll drink every last drop if you don't get your ass up right now. I AIN'T COVERING FOR YOU AGAIN!"_

Suddenly, the Russian was awake and before Dempsey could realise, Nikolai was already charging at him like a bull to a rag. At the last minute Dempsey set the vodka back down before ducking out of the way of Nikolai. Who knew he could move so fast for a drunk?

 _"It is okay my dearest, he will not harm you now"_ , Nikolai cooed while petting his vodka bottles. The rest of us all looked at each other before Dempsey let out a bellowing laugh - remarkably unfazed by Nikolai's rampage mere seconds prior. Takeo mumbled to himself in Japanese.

 _"Baka"_ , he spat, which caused me to laugh. He was always calling Nikolai an idiot.

We threw more wood on fire to keep the biting cold night wind at bay. Dempsey had found a blanket for me to use which I was now wrapped up in - huddled by the fire. He was snoring loudly but coupled with yesterday's events, I just could not sleep. It was ironic how I was perfectly capable of sleep in the menancing glare of a sadistic doctor though.

Dempsey had offered me a cigarette earlier but now the offer was becoming more appealing. I only smoke like twice a year but given everything that's happened; I think I deserved one. So I got up and walked over to the packet on the nearby table. The box had clearly seen better days but it was better than nothing. The musty smell of tobacco greeted me as I flicked open the cigarettes. I pulled one out and gave it a sniff.

It was strange having a cigarette made in the 40's and they definitely smelt different. I'm not much of a connoisseur but it was clear they weren't distributing the highest quality tobacco to recruits. I finally picked one up and grabbed the nearby box of matches.

I walked out into the cool night and took a seat on an old oil drum the guys had made into a bench. I took a deep breath before flicking the match as I looked forward to enjoying this small moment to myself.

 _"Can't shleep, my dear?"_ A voice called out from the darkness.

_End of part five..._


	6. Chapter Six: Company

I jumped out my skin and turned around in time to see the doctor emerge from the shadows. He walked slowly towards me like a predator about to go in for the kill.

 _"Jou do know zhose are bad for jou, ja?"_ He jested, nodding towards my cigarette.

 _"That's rich, you come from a time period where everyone does it",_ I said defiantly. I took in a deliberately long drag and smugly puffed out the smoke whilst looking at Richtofen. He rolled his eyes at me and I returned the gesture. By now he was standing beside me looking out into the night sky. I took another draw of my cigarette which I was now midway through before flicking the ash behind me.

 _"I zhought jou vere a little smarter zhan zhat"_ , he hissed with displeasure. I thought it was best not to respond. In the absence of a clever retort, Richtofen moved closer to the makeshift bench but stopped short of sitting down. He remained silent as I took a quick glance at him. He stood proud with his hands behind his back.

As a fictional character, he was funny but now I could no longer ignore the fact he was a sadistic psychopath. I was just glad that I was used to being around his kind - I'd been studying forensic psychology for 7 years now. And little did he know I was also a medical student. My thoughts interrupted by Richtofen.

 _"Zhe food vas nice"_ , he said so quietly I almost missed it. It clearly pained him to give me the compliment.

 _"Did I just get a--"_ , I said smugly with a hand under my chin as I deliberately ended the sentence before saying the word.

 _"Nein! I shaid I_ ** _vasn't_** _nice"_ , he snapped. A smile crept across my face before I quickly extinguished it. I didn't press him and just took the compliment. We remained in each other's company in silence. The cool breeze howled through the quiet landscape as a few minutes passed. Richtofen broke the silence and my attention was now quickly back on him.

_"Tell me, do jou really think I believe jou are simply suffering from a concussion?"_

_"I suppose not"_ , I replied curtly.

 _"Jou do realise I know zhat jou are vithholding information from me -_ _ **vital information**_ _."_ He hissed as he turned to me.

 _"Look, if I told you I know for a fact you wouldn't believe me"_ , I said before taking another drag of my cigarette. Richtofen laughed to himself.

 _"Oh, my dear, I believe jou are mistaken."_ I looked at him trying to figure out how best to respond before I took a deep breath and told him enough to satisfy him - _for now_. I told him all about my time but I never told him about the game or how this world was fictional back in mine. I still wanted to withhold that which would give me leverage. He listened intently to every word and absorbed everything I had to say.

I took perverse delight in allowing him to think I was a brainless female as I was always quick to act dumb towards any questions he responded with that evening. Once I'd finished, he finally sat down on a broken wall nearby.

 _"It has been so quiet vithout zhe cries of agony from mein patients"_ , Richtofen sighed remorsefully. I sensed he wanted me to remain silent and did so as we both took in the crisp air and looked out at the stars beyond. He seemed to take comfort just being there next to me - as I finished off my cigarette. He sat proud and upright as he thoughtfully took in the surroundings. I looked up at the sky and tried to spot any visible constellations before my eyes settled on Orion's belt - the only one I could ever find.

 _"Do jou enjoy looking at zhe stars?"_ he asked as if wanting to start a new conversation.

 _"I suppose everyone does but I really like space in general"_ , I replied.

 _"Und vhat draws jou to it?"_ he said hastily. He was beginning to sound like my shrink.

 _"It's ethereal and unknown"_ , I replied. I chose my words carefully.

 _"Jou enjoy probing zhe mysteries of schience?"_ Richtofen fired back.

 _"Yes I do - very much"_ , I said, waiting for him to get to the point he wanted to talk about.

 _"Don't jou ever vonder vhat is beyond zhis mundane existence?"_ He said as each reply I gave was replaced by another question.

 _"I do but some things aren't meant to be disturbed by mere humans"_ , I said. This earned a look of surprise as Richtofen tore his gaze away from the sky and over to me. I knew exactly what he was talking about; he was using this conversation as a cover for it. But I felt relieved to know that _maybe just maybe_ Richtofen was getting second thoughts about his grand scheme. I expected a smart ass reply from him but one never came. I took it as my queue to stand up and stamp out my cigarette before taking one last look at the sky.

 _"Vhat do jou find appealing about zhese... cigarettes?"_ He said scrunching up his face and taking the subject back to the mundane.

 _"There weren't any cigars available"_ , I said as I walked back inside leaving Richtofen with a look of shock smeared across his face. I wasn't sure if it was my candid response or the shock that a woman could actually enjoy cigars which caused Richtofen's look of horror - which was funny as neither hardly compared to the atrocious he had committed.

As I walked away I knew his opinion of me was beginning to change - that much I could tell. It was clear he saw all women as frail and meek but I doubt he thought any were capable of such apathy towards his threats and intimidation during our prior conversation in his office. No doubt he had been observing my interactions with the guys and analysing me all day before seeking me out for this talk. He was cold and calculating and he relied on this to try and size me up like he always did.

He was my favourite character in the game and even I surprised myself at being able to shed any fear of him. _I could be calculating too_ _, though._ Especially when my life depended on it. There was no way he would have harmed me that night - not without knowing the mystery of my arrival. And even now, I deliberately left out everything I truly knew and what would transpire once we left Der Riese... and his ultimate fate. He was only going to get what I was willing to tell him and it would be the leverage needed to ensure he would be obliged to keep me around.

He seemed satisfied with what I was willing to tell him as he too left to return to his quarters and mull over this new information. When I returned to my bed by the fire; I passed out with exhaustion.

_End of part six..._


	7. Chapter Seven: Too Close For Comfort

_"Where are all the hellpigs?!"_ Nikolai lamented. He was perched up on the catwalk that led to the Jugg machine - solemnly drinking his vodka. Takeo was below boarding up the last window in the area. Upon hearing Nikolai's cries he deliberately slammed the hammer against the last nail in obvious frustration. The lack of zombies left everyone feeling extremely uneasy.

I sat alone on the catwalk in the STG building looking out at the two men yards away. I still couldn't believe I was sitting here. I doubt I'd ever fully come to terms with it. But strangely, the familiar surroundings were comforting, despite the stench of death creeping through the air. I also found myself wondering why there were no zombies. It's day three and still no sign of them since I arrived. I was happy not to have to worry about them but I knew this respite did not come without payment.

I looked out and saw Dempsey come round the corner from the Juggernog machine and along the catwalk towards Nikolai. Even _he_ looked deflated and far from his usual gung-ho self. They'd become so used to this life that I doubt they even remembered what normal life was like. I felt sad at the thought and breathed a deep sigh. A sudden chill came over me and I felt eyes watching me.

I looked around unable to spot anyone until I heard a deliberate cough come from directly below me. I was dangling my legs over the edge above where Richtofen stood. He was now glaring up at me. It was clear he was displeased with my idleness.

 _"Oh, what now?"_ I barked down in my rough Glaswiegan accent, boldly reflecting his glare back at him.

 _"Get down here now!"_ The doctor spat irritatedly. I did as I was told merely out of boredom and interest for what the doctor decided was worth including me in. The metal stairs cranked and creaked even under my weight which, in all honesty, wasn't much. They didn't seem very stable at all. I walked over to the door which Richtofen was now leaning against expectantly before straightening up when I approached.

 _"I zhought over vhat jou told me last night."_ He finally exclaimed. His eyes scanned my face trying to gauge my reaction to this. He was very tall and coupled with my mere height of 5ft 3" - _4" on a good day_ \- he towered over me regardless of whether he was even trying to or not. But I stood my ground. I've always been very good at hiding how I feel and felt assured that this ability would be useful around Richtofen in times like these. So my face remained stoic.

 _"Oh? And what are you're conclusions, Doctor?"_ I finally said, nonchalantly. He narrowed his eyes.

 _"Vell, vhen jou told me about--"_ My attention was immediately torn from his words as I looked over his shoulder at Dempsey who was staring at us intently with smouldering animosity. Takeo and Nikolai were both behind him quietly watching our conversation unfold. And, like a hawk, Richtofen picked up on my distracted gaze before swivelling around on one heel to see what I was looking at.

 _"Come vith me, ve shall shpeak somevhere vhere zhat monkey can't dishtract jou",_ He began walking away, expecting me to follow. I walked behind him struggling to keep up with his large strides before we walked directly under the catwalk where the three men were perched.

 _"Where the fuck do you think you're takin' her,_ ** _huh doc?"_** Dempsey screamed down at us. But Richtofen kept walking.

 _"You better answer me now, freak. Or I'll tear ya a new one!"_ Dempsey was becoming more and more enraged by Richtofen's refusal to even acknowledge him. Dempsey waited - still nothing - as the doctor kept walking with me in tow.

 _"Fuck you, that's_ _ **IT**_ _!"_ Dempsey screamed before the sound of boots stomped away towards the stairs. I knew he was taking the stairs to make his way towards the mainframe and intercept our route. I became worried about how this altercation would go. Sure enough, Dempsey was stomping towards the doctor before we could even make it to the speed cola machine.

 _"Listen kraut, you better tell me_ ** _RIGHT_** **_NOW_** _where the fuck you're taking Kiana."_ The doctor stopped and Dempsey was now screaming in his face. All Richtofen responded with was an amused laugh which really sent Dempsey over the edge. I thankfully kept a safe distance from the two men as Dempsey threw a solid right hook at Richtofen's face. Takeo and Nikolai caught up and stayed close to me before I turned to them in shock.

 _"Ayyy, at least we're getting some entertainment!"_ Nikolai bellowed happily before nudging me and Takeo who was watching the two men with great seriousness.

 _"What did Richtofen ask you?"_ Takeo finally spoke, without taking his eyes from the man in question. I turned and looked up at him.

 _"He said he wanted to discuss how I got here."_ I told him - _omitting the details._

 _"He is sick, we do not know why all of this has happened but he seems to be the only one with any clue. Richtofen's behaviour is unpredictable and I cannot allow myself to stand idly by and let you be alone with him."_ Takeo lectured. I was really surprised because I really didn't think the men really cared - let alone Takeo. We hadn't spoken much up to this point and this was the most I'd heard him say since I got here.

 _"I suspected as much. But you both seemed fine letting him keep me locked away in his office the first night..."_ I responded matter-of-fact.

 _"Yeh, why did we let that happen Takeo?"_ Nikolai chimed in trying to deflect his own guilt.

 _"I sat by the door the whole night"_ , Takeo responded which took us both by surprise.

 _"Hey! So that's where you_ ** _disappeared_** _to! You were supposed to be on night watch!"_ Nikolai cried unfairly.

I looked at Takeo who still hadn't taken his eyes off of the two men and was cautiously anticipating Richtofen's response to Dempsey's assault. The force of the punch had managed to actually knock Richtofen to the ground, which was no mere feat. He was lean but he was a giant of a man. He got up and dusted himself off as if nothing had happened despite the bright red mark left by Dempsey's fist.

We all looked on with bated breath wondering how he was going to take this. Dempsey stood glaring at the German with embers of hate flickering in his eyes.

 _"Well then? You aren't even going to--"_ , Before Dempsey could finish his sentence, the doctor had him pinned against the wall behind as he held his knife to his throat. Richtofen had moved with such supernatural skill that no one could intervene in time.

 _"Jou vant to die right here, American?"_ Richtofen's eyes burned with malice. Their faces mere inches away.

 _"That is_ ** _enough_** _, Richtofen."_ Takeo said sternly as he walked towards the men and away from my side.

 _"Ah, Takeo."_ Richtofen's expression had completely changed and he was back to his usual self.

 _"Ve vill need to put a leash on zhe monkey boy. Anozher outburst like zhat at I vill have no choice but to..._ ** _put him down_** _"_ he continued, as a serpentine smile deformed his lips.

 _"I vill shpeak to zhe fräu vhen and vhere ever I please, is zhat clear?"_ His voice cracked on the last word.

 _"Very well, but I would ask that I accompany her in case the zombies return."_ Takeo bargained.

 _"Very, vell"_ , the doctor murmured.

We made our way past the generator room and up a flight of stairs towards Richtofen's lab. I looked up at Takeo as we walked behind Richtofen; he didn't look at me which actually reassured me. Something about his calm demeanour made me feel that we weren't all at the mercy of Richtofen. The man in question opened the door with the turn of a key and ushered me in. Takeo remained outside like a sentinel as Richtofen walked in behind me, closing the door.

 _"Take a seat."_ Richtofen said as he gestured towards the chair nearby. I was a little puzzled as to why he hadn't called me to his office instead. I sat down just as he did and he began looking at me with the same calculating glare.

 _"Well?_ " I said as I raised and eyebrow.

 _"Jou vere more zhan happy to tell me_ ** _everyzhing_** _about zhe year 2020 last night but I vas left vondering vone zhing"_ , Richtofen sang before taking a pause to guage my reaction.

 _"I know very little about zhe fräu sitting in front of me."_ He grinned as I was surprised at this turn of events.

 _"Well what do you want to know?"_ I laughed which only served to annoy him. I supposed he wasn't used to people interacting with him in any way other than cowering in fear but I didn't want to allow him the pleasure of doing so. And in spite of his terrifyingly unpredictable behaviour; I couldn't help but remember all the quotes he would say when playing the game - _and how they made me laugh._ With the zombies not around this was him on a more even keel -- Dempsey not withstanding.

I wanted to giggle because it was still so strange to see a videogame character sitting in front of me demanding that I answer his questions. And the more he spoke the more I wanted to laugh. I couldn't even process what he was saying as I lost the battle to stay serious.

 _"Do you zhink zhis is a game?!"_ He slammed the table and leaned forward. It was so ironic because I wanted to shout _"_ _ **YES**_ _!"_ \- emphatically, _yes_! However, my lack of a coherent reply only served to fuel his frustration.

 _"Jou vill answer me now, fräu. Before I --",_ Richtofen stopped and frowned. I now was hysterical by this point and tears where streaming down my face. _A 'game' - if you pardon the pun - I thought to myself._ I lost it after that and the stress of being thrown into their world had taken its toll. I was having a meltdown right at the worst time.

 _"Can't you just allow me this moment of madness?"_ I managed to squeak, my ribs sore and muscles tight from laughing.

 _"Vhat is sho..._ ** _hilarious_** _, exactly?"_ Richtofen said crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

 _"It's-- it's --"_ , I couldn't get the sentence out which only annoyed him further.

 _"Out vith it, voman!"_ He demanded as he slammed his fists on the desk and glared at me.

 _"It's-- it's the hilarious things you come out with!"_ I said before slipping back into a fit of laughter. The doctor raised an eyebrow whilst simultaneously pursing his lips.

 _"Und vhat exactly do I shay?!"_ He enquired as he leaned over towards me again. I gave my crap attempt at an impression of Richtofen and recited a quote from classified:

 _"Zhis, vill make jour hair shtand on end! Even zhe curly vones!"_ I tried imitating his German accent before falling back into my chair laughing.

 _"Everyone back home loves you but you're an absolutely terrifying bastard in person. And I don't know how to reconcile these two versions of you. I don't know what else to do but laugh"_ , I finally explained.

The whole time Richtofen watched me with such fascination that he was no longer annoyed. I wiped a tear that began to run down my face and finally composed myself.

 _"I'm terribly sorry",_ I apologised.

 _"And who exactly is '_ _ **everyvone**_ _'?"_ He enquired.

 _"Well, everyone who plays the game. You're like the greatest character of all time. Your personality is brilliant...well aside from the murderous part but even then you make it hilarious"_ , I responded candidly.

Richtofen was completely taken aback. He had no idea what I was talking about. And never had he been described as _'hilarious'_ or told _'everyone loved him'_. He was so used to being feared and avoided that, for once, he didn't know what to say. By now I was back to being a normal functioning human but trails of residual tears down my cheeks were still wet and my muscles ached. I adjusted in my seat and looked at him. He looked horrifed by my strange behaviour but there was a twinge of something gentle behind his eyes. The real Richtofen, I thought.

I sighed and knew deep down it was time to tell him about the game and how they were all fictional characters - _fits of laughter or not_. But I was determined to release the minimum he was prepared to accept. So I told him about the game, the fact they were fictional characters in my universe but I insisted the game had only just started and that we only knew what was was released during WaW.

Richtofen sat back processing it all. He was silent - completely silent. I exhaled in relief after off-loading the information. After a short pause, he immediately changed the topic and hissed:

 _"Jou shtill haven't answered my question. I vant to know more about_ ** _jou_** _, my dear."_ He was back to his devious self and his eyes darkened. He'd completely ignored being told he was a work of fiction or, as I suspected, was deliberately waiting to let it hit him in the privacy of solitude. So, I allowed him this mercy.

 _"Well, where do you want me to start? Shall I recount my memoirs?"_ I jibed. He stood up, never taking his eyes off me, as he walked around the desk towards me before sitting on the edge infront of me. He towered over me.

 _"Jou sheem to zhink I am unaware of zhis_ ** _charade_** _jou are playing"_ , he hissed.

 _"I am very much avare of zhe fact zhat jou are not zhe insipid female jou proport to be. Yes, zhere is much more to jou... oh how I'd love to_ ** _crack_** _open zhat little head of jours and_ ** _pour_** _through jour_ ** _every_** _secret"_ , he grinned devilishly.

 _"You got me"_ , I said as if I truly was caught in the act of what he claimed.

 _"Allow me to properly introduce myself!"_ I said as I stood up from my chair knocking it away behind me.

 _"I am Kiana - renaissance woman extraordinaire"_ , I proclaimed as I took a small bow. Richtofen looked affronted before standing up to make sure he was still taller.

 _"I saw zhe vay, jou dealt vith zhe vound on jour arm, surely jou knew I vas feigning shleep? I deliberately didn't treat it zhe ozher night because jou didn't realise zhat vhen jou vhere trying to sit up jou vhere audibly talking through jour diagnosis of jour condition. Not many people know_ ** _zhat_** _much about neurology, jou know..."_ He purred as he basked in own egotistical praise.

 _"And? I know what a concussion is and can treat a burn, so what?"_ I said frowning as if his discovery was a mere trifle.

 _"Jou are a doctor, are you not?"_ the doctor leaned down towards my face with a smug look of victory.

 _"Oh, medicine? It is only_ ** _one_** _of my many talents."_ I cried waving my hand dismissively infront of my face.

 _"Ve are going to have to find out zhe true exshtent of your abilities zhen"_ , he cooed before grabbing my shoulders.

 _"Let's have a nice conversation, shall ve?"_ The doctor sang as he returned me to my seat before doing so himself. I felt like a schoolgirl in the headmaster's office and it was clear Richtofen enjoyed his role.

 _"I zhink jou are very intereshting. Jou shertainly aren't like a proper voman._ "

_Um, what? I thought to myself. Geez, thanks for the backhander._

_"Ahh, yes I forgot a proper woman is subordinate and insipid. I_ ** _must_** _be a man then"_ , I said raising an eyebrow. A smile grew across Richtofen's lips and I could see he was amused by my reply - and it wasn't exactly easy to amuse him.

 _"Jou shertainly aren't a normal voman, Dempshey hasn't even had an effect on jou. I exshpected jou to be svooning over zhe idiot. But he doesn't interesht jou, does he?"_ Richtofen leaned closer closing the gap between us across the desk.

 _"Jou are shertainly very intereshting indeed"_ , he grinned.

 _"Ah, glad you could tell me that. Can I go now?"_ I said hastily making my way to the door.

 _"NEIN! I'M NOT DONE."_ Richtofen yelled as he jumped up to grab my wrist. I was angry that I was being manhandled so I swung around to face him - my face hot with anger. He had been much closer than I realised because I ended up swinging directly into him where he subsequently caged me in his arms. I was shocked, completely shocked. My eyes widened with horror; this was too close. He rested his chin on my head before whispering:

 _"I vill find out jour secrets shoon enough. Und if jou tell_ ** _anyvone_** _about zhe topic of our little chat I vill have to pay jou a little visit vhile jou shleep."_ He inhaled deeply as his grip tightened. My arms were by my sides and I remained silent trying to take in what was happening.

_"Now go, but I vill be keeping a close eye on jou. Do not forget zhat."_

With that, his grip loosened and I made a beeline for the door - my heart pounding.

_End of part seven..._


	8. Chapter Eight: Revelations

Takeo was waiting for me outside and came to me as I stepped outside the office.

 _"Ready?"_ He enquired and I gave a nod for us to leave. Takeo glanced at Richtofen who was standing behind me at the door. Richtofen returned a neutral glance - not giving anything away. We returned to Dempsey and Nikolai who were waiting in the thompson gun room. As they both heard our footsteps, Dempsey turned and rushed over to me grabbing my shoulders and leaning down to my height.

 _"Are you okay? What did he ask you?"_ Dempsey blurted out with urgency.

 _"Nothing much other than asking me whether my memory had returned yet"_ , I lied because I imagined the heavy metal door muffled our voices - preventing even Takeo from eavesdropping. And this was likely why Richtofen chose his lab instead. Dempsey bought it and ushered me over to the fire to warm up. We all sat huddled around it in silence. I checked my burn and caught Dempsey wince as he looked over at my arm.

 _"It looks worse than it is"_ , I said reassuringly. Which was the truth, burns were great at that.

 _"It's not gonna get infected, is it?"_ Dempsey enquired with genuine concern.

 _"As long as I keep it clean I'll be fine"_ , I replied with a smile. Nikolai interrupted:

 _"I should apologise for leaving you with the German. Can I offer some vodka at least?"_ I thanked him and accepted the bottle before splashing some on my arm as the burn was beginning to get dirty again. Nikolai looked on in shock as he expected me to take a swig instead. Everyone laughed - _even Takeo_. A grin became plastered across my face as I realised a great story involving vodka.

 _"You know Nikolai"_ , I began as everyone leaned in to hear what I was going to say.

 _"My piercing above my lip became swollen and irritated one night"_ , Nikolai turned to face me with a look of intrigue.

 _"I was at a friend's house at the time and they decided that I should disinfect it. So they went into their kitchen cabinet and brought out a bottle of unopened vodka_ _ **straight from Russia**_ _, even the glass was ornately moulded!"_ I began to grin more as Dempsey and Takeo knew where I was going with the story. Nikolai recoiled in terror anticipating his worst nightmare.

 _"I used the vodka as mouthwash. MERE MOUTHWASH!"_ I cackled exaggeratedly. Nikolai was gripping his vodka close to him.

 _"How could you? How could you treat vodka like that!?"_ He cried as he cuddled his vodka bottles. We all laughed in unison at his reaction.

 _"So what is it anyway?"_ Dempsey enquired referring to my piercings. He was clearly clueless since he likely hadn't seen it before.

 _"It's called a medusa piercing"_ , I replied pointing to it.

 _"And this is a daith"_ , I continued, pointing to my ear.

 _"Oh, and I have a belly bar too"_ , Dempsey flinched as if he was reliving the pain he assumed I'd felt getting my piercings.

 _"It wasn't sore at all, but then again I do have an obscene pain tolerance"_ , I laughed. This seemed to reassure him regardless and his expression lightened up.

 _"What about the tattoos?"_ He enquired. Instinctively, I turned to Takeo who'd likely had seen a tattoo or two since he was Japanese.

 _"Irezumi"_ , he replied to Dempsey.

 _"Ira-what?"_ He replied ignorantly causing Takeo to roll his eyes.

 _"The art of tattooing is something long cherished by my ancestors"_ , Takeo began.

 _"Oh, here we go_ ** _another_** _story about his ancestors_ _"_ , Nikolai said dryly. I, _on the other hand_ , was intent on hearing more and urged him to continue. I _loved_ Japanese culture after all. We spent the night listening to Takeo tell us stories of his many ancestors and how some were even samurais and shoguns. He told me about how both his father and mother proudly wore their ink, even when tattooing became taboo and associated with Yakuza.

After a couple of hours, Dempsey got up and announced we were on night watch. I said goodbye to Takeo and Nikolai and we proceeded outside into the crisp air. We assumed our roles in a makeshift guard post the men were using. Two blankets were waiting for us as we sat down; with Dempsey picking up the M16 which was left stationed. I wasn't thrilled being left alone with Dempsey but he was a better choice than the doctor, that's for sure.

 _"So, uh, you have a boyfriend or something?"_ Dempsey asked rubbing the back of his neck.

 _"Wow"_ , I replied ,bluntly.

 _"You're to the point I see"_ , I continued as I let out a small laugh.

 _"No-- no, I didn't mean to--"_ , Dempsey began blushing. He wasn't as smooth as he thought and I'm sure he was wondering why he wasn't getting the girl just as he'd imagined.

 _"Well, to answer your question, I don't"_ , I finally replied. Dempsey perked up at the news before I continued.

 _"You're not my type, I'm afraid"_ , I said whilst trying to be light hearted and shot him a wink. Last thing I wanted was to be in a relationship with a fictional character. Real men were bad enough!

 _"Pfft, and_ ** _who_** _is then? Nikolai?"_ Dempsey laughed.

 _"Oh, definitely, it's the stench of vodka that got me"_ , I replied with my dry sense of humour. We both laughed and suddenly Dempsey became very serious.

 _"It's not the doc, is it?"_ Dempsey was no longer joking. I picked up on his uneasiness and reassured him that a _mass murderer_ definetly my type either.

 _"I don't like the way he looks at you"_ , Dempsey blurted. I was taken aback.

 _"What do you mean?"_ I eagerly enquired.

 _"Kiana, the man probably hasn't had any chicks. He's probably even a virgin"_ , Dempsey paused, amused at the thought.

 _"But he's_ _ **still**_ _a man. There's no law and order; it's just the five of us out here and he probably thinks this is a good opportunity to have his way with the only female we've met since all this began"_ , Dempsey said factually.

Richtofen was weird, that's for sure but I could never see him liking _anyone_ let alone _me_. And I didn't think it was possible for him to like anyone _romantically_. Plus, I don't think human interactions were high on his list of priorities, even if he _was_ still a man at the end of the day.

 _"Oh, for goodness sake, Dempsey. You're being ridiculous"_ , I waved away the suggestion. Dempsey sat up and knelt in front of me.

 _"Look, Kiana. I'm telling you I've seen the way he looks at you. He still has urges just like the rest of us. I can keep you safe if you just let me"_ , Dempsey was now leaning closer to me and it was clear he wanted to embrace.

 _"I mean, shit, I barely know you but I want to protect you"_ , he continued.

 _"I'm not daft, Dempsey. I'm not some female waiting to be claimed. I get you and Richtofen clash and that's mainly due to both your colossal egos"_ , I said as Dempsey frowned.

 _"Gee, thanks"_ , Dempsey retorted, deflated.

_"Look, I'm a big girl. Where I'm from, women are more independent."_

_"And where exactly are you from?" Dempsey snapped, trying to catch_ me out.

 _"I thought your memory was fuzzy?"_ I knew I'd been caught out and I let out a sigh.

 _"Look, Tank. I don't know how any of it is possible but I suppose I'll just tell you. I'm not from this time, or this universe. I'm from_ ** _way_** _in the future--"_ , I stated before Dempsey interrupted,

 _"How far in the future, exactly?!"_ I braced myself for his response before I said _"2020"_. Right on cue, Dempsey looked away unable to believe what he was hearing but he regained composure remarkably fast.

 _"That explains why you look different from normal women"_ , he replied.

 _"Wow, thanks the compliments keep on coming don't they?"_ I said dryly after thinking about Richtofen's comment earlier.

 _"I don't mean it like that!"_ Dempsey replied defensively - carrying out damage control. I laughed because I imagine I did look very strange. There was quite a gap between our times so there _was_ a bit of a culture shock, I suppose. Then, before I realised, Dempsey was already hugging me. I could feel his stubble jagging my face as he held onto me for dear life.

 _"It's fine, Tank, really"_ , I blurted out. He really was a big softy and I knew his heart was in the right place.

 _"Just promise me you'll stay away from Richtofen"_ , Dempsey demanded, now looking into my eyes having pulled back.

 _"Not a problem, but_ _ **he's**_ _the one who seeks me out"_ , I protested.

 _"We're all here to look out for you, Kiana"_ , Dempsey's words were clearly heartfelt.

 _"Even Nikolai?"_ I replied jokingly earning a chuckle from Dempsey.

 _"Yeah, even Smelly"_ , he said as we both laughed.

The rest of the night Dempsey kept watch whilst nursing his M16. He let me rest huddled in the blankets as he kept watch.

_End of part eight..._


	9. Chapter Nine: Women Are A Strange Breed

Richtofen sat quietly in his office as he'd spent most of the day working. Night had fallen on the facility as his room was now being illuminated by the light of the lantern which sat on his desk. He heard the crunching of gravel outside as it made a crescendo towards him and sent him running to the window. Looking down, he could see Dempsey and Kiana making their way to the watchpost; he eyed the woman cautiously as she stopped. She instinctively looked up at the window where the doctor stood. He sucked in a breath and slowly backed up into the shadows before returning to watch her - _this time concealed._

She was still gazing up before she shook her head and ran to catch up with Dempsey. Her ponytail swished from side to side as she made steady strides towards him. Richtofen seemed to watch her in a daze until both of them were finally out of sight. Richtofen returned to his desk and produced a diary from one of the drawers. It was kept hidden in a secret drawer which was guarded by a combination. _A very important date._

He carefully traced the spine before opening the book; his fingers expertly slicked through the pages as he took in it's contents. He'd decided on his plan back in Shi No Numa when he returned to collect his diary but every night he enjoyed going over the pages to mull over it. The anticipation was becoming increasingly more exciting as he felt so close now.

He was almost ready to input the coordinates that would take him back to the Moon. Just a few more confirmatory calculations were required to rule out any errors - _not that he ever made any._ The mere thought of it caused him to shake slightly; he'd _longed_ for the day when he would confront that little brat Samantha and take what was _rightfully_ his.

 _"Und vhat vill it change, Teddy?"_ A child's voice echoed in his mind.

 _"Shut up, Samanzha!"_ He yelled.

 _"Vill it really make everyzhing better? Vill it atone for jour shortcomings? Jour inability to be..._ _ **loved**_ _?"_ She squealed as she struck his weak spot.

 _"Nein! Shut UP!"_ He shouted as he slammed his fists on the desk.

 _"Do jou ever vish_ ** _she_** _vould love jou?"_ Samantha giggled childishly as she revelled in Richtofen's anguish.

 _"Leave me be!"_ He cried before getting up to leave his office. He made his way down the strairwell and through the foyer before bursting through the door and taking in the cool air. After a deep breath, he decided on a walk to clear his head. He treaded quietly as he made his way around the watchpost where Kiana laying alseep amongst the blankets.

The dimly lit lights from the buildings strained to illuminate grounds. But Richtofen watched her from a far as he noticed Dempsey was still awake. _He_ was the last person he wanted to see right now so the doctor made his way to the catwalk in the STG room.

Richtofen felt solace in the concealment of the shadows as he sat down to look out at the ruins of what was once a great scientific facility. He thought about how it looked before it plunged into chaos. Dr Schuster would be running around - always stressing over deadlines. Dr Groph would visit periodically as he split his time between here and the base on the Moon. And _Maxis_... he went from a scientist with a noble cause to a bootlicker desperate to please the custodians of the Third Reich; and obtain as much grant money from the Fuhrer as possible. Money that never funded any research of _merit_ , Richtofen scoffed.

 _"Und zhat schtupid Sophia..."_ Richtofen growled under his breath. He always held it against her as if she was the sole reason for Maxis' downfall. In his eyes, _she was_ , as all women were mere distractions. Something that should be kept out of the lab - _especially when great men were at work._

He felt a sudden sharp throb in his heart. Though he'd never felt the way a man should feel about a woman - _a thought so alien to him_ \- he nonetheless felt a deep nagging in his very being... _w_ _henever he thought about that woman._ How she'd just _appeared_ out of nowhere and thrown off his plans. Plus, he doubted she'd just _let_ him carry out his grand scheme. She no doubt knew about it - _despite always playing dumb._

She was highly intelligent; and that was something unexpected given his prior interactions with women. They always spoke down to him or eyed him with disgust but they never had anything of _substance_ about them. Their vanity seemed to take pride of place in their empty minds. And thankfully, aside from auxiliary staff, Sophia was the only other female at the facility.

They never saw eye to eye but Maxis saw no fault in her. No matter how many mistakes were made, no matter how many miscalculations occurred - Maxis would still keep her around. _Despite vehement protests from Richtofen._

It was clear the feelings were mutual as Maxis had grown accustomed to her presence. Since Samantha's mother died, he'd promised to remain faithful to his work - _he had an heir after all_. Why would he need to seek another woman? But, nonetheless, Sophia attracted him; her bumbling behaviour and accident prone mishaps charmed him. She always looked lost and he'd longed to be the one she'd look to.

Richtofen tried to think back to his own dealings with prospective females - _a pursuit he'd long since abandoned._ The females in his village were usually found swooning over the _crass_ , loud idiots. The kind of men who could simply flex a bicep and have flocks of females come running. Much like _Dempsey_.

Richtofen opted to avoid the banality of his peers by tucking himself away in one of the various hiding places he made. Sometimes, he would read under the shade of a willow tree to watch these strange scenes unfold - though, only out of pure morbid curiosity. He wanted to be known for his brain, not braun, yet a simple minded farmhand seemed more appealing than him to these strange female creatures.

His childhood and adolescence was spent devoid of any friendship - _let alone romance._ Thus, he never got to experience his first kiss or any of the other drivel that is portrayed in movies. He appeared not let it bother him but, _deep down_ , he yearned for these moments of intimacy.

These many failed attempts reinforced the belief that he would never find a partner let alone _anyone_ who could ever live up to his lofty ideals. He had long since resigned himself to bachelorhood but he also couldn't see himself playing the role of _'husband'_ either. The thought of marriage was a strange one and it baffled him how quickly those around him paired up for it.

Imagine, coming home from work every day to be met by a wife who was more akin to a servant. One whose job was to maintain the dwelling, cook the meals and entertain through fornication. _Lather, rinse, repeat._

Where was the intellectual debate? The long evenings spent pondering the complexities of life? Indeed, no one was ever _good_ _enough_ to truly entertain and stimulate him. He'd never thought too deeply about it before since those who did try to initiate simple conversation were inevitably scared off long before that point. Suddenly, a small thought erupted in his mind:

_But Kiana wasn't scared._

He chastised himself for allowing her to creep up in his thoughts again.

_But she was always on his mind._

_End of part nine..._  
  
  



	10. Chapter Ten: Conspiracy

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of Dempsey's heavy snoring. I smiled to myself and got up to cover him with the blanket that he'd managed to kick off in his sleep. He was a good guy - _his heart was definitely in the right place._ As I draped the blanket over his shoulders he stirred lightly and was now hugging the M16 like a stuffed toy.

I looked around for Takeo and Nikolai who were supposed to come and take over the post; though, they were nowhere to be seen or heard. Even the drunken ramblings of Nikolai were eerily absent from the air. I began to worry about what the doctor was scheming now. Since our last conversation, I'd made it a general rule to assume his eyes were on me at all times - _even when I didn't think it was humanly possible._ But at least it kept me prepared for any sudden encounters with him.

Dempsey was still snoring away as I tried to calm my nerves; he was right beside me and I could easily wake him up if any danger emerged. Maybe it was too early to change posts - I had no idea what time it was after all! So I huddled in my blanket and kept watch for the next hour or two.

Still nothing. No one was nearby, no echoes of voices but no sounds of gunfire either so the undead were still absent. Richtofen must've been up to something - it was the only explanation! I knew it was definitely time to wake up Dempsey then. So, I gave him a nudge on the shoulder. He stirred and mumbled something about 'jugger-girl' before opening his eyes and smiling at me.

 _"Oh, you're much better than jugger-girl"_ , he cooed groggily. I gave him a gentle slap on the shoulder and he flashed a devious smile. He was definitely persistent - _credit where credit is due._

 _"Where's Tak and Nik?"_ He queried. I shrugged my shoulders as I looked at the open space around us. We sat trying to pick up on any noise that could indicate their whereabouts. Yet, there wasn't even the faintest sound to be heard; just the whistle of the cold breeze.

 _"Fuckin' Richtofen"_ , Dempsey spat as he instinctively readied his M16 and we got up to begin our search for the others. I followed close behind as we made our way to where Takeo and Nikolai had been sleeping. We were greeted with only dishevelled blankets strewn around the fire - which had now been reduced to smouldering embers. Dempsey reached down to pick up a spilled vodka bottle, something definitely wasn't right. We then decided to try Richtofen's office.

We made our way across the grounds as we cut through the dead silent air. I could see Dempsey tense at the slightest noise and my heart rate began to rise. We made our way through the entrance trying to minimise the sound of the rusty door as we opened and closed it.

Dempsey and I tiptoed across the tiled foyer and made our way to the stairwell. Dempsey went ahead to check the coast was clear before signalling for me to follow. We finally made our way to Richtofen's office and, before Dempsey could knock, I grabbed his hand to stop. The sound of muffled voices rumbled against the door.

 _"Richtofen, you cannot do this to her! She is not a trained warrior like us!"_ Takeo protested. Nikolai belched before agreeing. Dempsey's face began to contort with sheer hatred. I put a hand on his shoulder to signal that we shouldn't intervene. So we continued listening.

 _"Nein! Zhis_ ** _female_** _is not as innocent as jou fools zhink! She is not some_ ** _damsel_** _zhat needs protecting"_ , Richtofen snapped. I felt conflicted about his statement. _What did it make me then -- in his eyes?!_ Dempsey looked at me as if to reassure me that Richtofen's opinion wasn't shared by the others.

 _"Whatever your plan is, Richtofen. Leave her out of it! You do not need to worry about her, I will take full responsibility for her safety"_ , Takeo insisted. There was a silence, as if Richtofen was considering the option. I looked at Dempsey who shot me another reassuring look before we were interrupted by Richtofen.

 _"Very vell zhen"_ , he said lowly. There was another silence before we heard footsteps heading for the door. Dempsey signalled for us to hide further down the hall before intercepting whoever was leaving the room.

We watched from afar as the door handle turned and Takeo and Nikolai emerged. Dempsey signalled to them and they calmly walked towards us without alerting Richtofen.

 _"We need to talk"_ , Dempsey commanded. So we left to gather in the generator room while Nikolai kept watch for Richtofen. I felt strange watching Dempsey who was extremely serious as he spoke. Takeo explained what Richtofen had told them before the two men turned to me.

 _"What did he say?"_ I asked, raising an eyebrow.

 _"Richtofen thinks you are too dangerous to keep around. He tried to convince us that you were sent here by Samantha"_ , Takeo replied.

 _"You must tell us what you know, you cannot keep this information to yourself. Not when it is against Richtofen"_ , Takeo warned. I gave a sigh and admitted what I had told Richtofen; but this time I told the guys _everything_. Takeo hung on every word as Dempsey was clearly freaked out at what I was telling them.

 _"So, we're just a_ ** _story_** _?! I'm some kinda fictional character?"_ Dempsey asked, wide eyed. I nodded.

 _"Well, it's the case in my universe at least. I mean, Richtofen doesn't seem to have fully taken in what I told him. Maybe he's deliberately avoiding facing it"_ , I hypothesised. But I wondered if it had sunk in when I left the lab. My mind shifted between thoughts, _how we could have knowledge of them back home?_ How could what we thought was just a game be a fully fleshed out - _tangible_ \- world? I was interrupted when Takeo spoke up.

 _"I believe you, I do not understand how this could be but your words have no deceit"_ , Takeo finally said.

 _"But this means you know Richtofen's plans... and his fate._ ** _Our fate_** _"_ , he continued. As soon as I nodded in confirmation, the men all gave a look of shock.

 _"We'll be moving on to Kino der Toten next"_ , I announced.

 _"It will be an old theatre in Germany, in 1963 I believe"_ , I explained before continuing:

_"He intends to go to the Moon next but he's going to accidently overload the teleporter. Which will send us to the theatre instead."_

_"What the fuck happens to us... in the end?"_ Dempsey cried. I replied honestly,

 _"I don't really know, the three of you get left behind on the Moon and we never get to know what became of you all. Most assumed you died there"_ , I said delicately, trying to be honest without upsetting Dempsey further.

 _"_ ** _But_** _we could be wrong!"_ I added.

 _"You're tellin'_ ** _us_** _we were that_ ** _freak's_** _experiments... just so he could become some kinda God and leave us for_ ** _dead_** _? Definitely sounds like Richtofen but_ ** _fuck_** **_me_** _"_ , Dempsey was nearing his limit. He was absolutely inundated with information.

 _"Yes but it doesn't need to happen now! I'm here, I can guide us away from that reality!"_ I exclaimed but was unable to rouse Dempsey's hope. He sat on a nearby cabinet that had been knocked over before burying his head in his hands.

 _"We must find a way to convince Richtofen his goals end in tragedy",_ Takeo stated.

 _"Good luck with that, he's a fuckin' nutcase"_ , Dempsey interjected.

 _"Well, why don't we try to contact little girl?"_ Nikolai chimed in. Takeo thought about Nikolai's words.

 _"It may explain why there haven't been any undead since I arrived"_ , I suggested. The men nodded in agreement, Samantha must've known I was here. And what about Maxis? Maybe he could be contacted for help.

 _"We will discuss this further tomorrow, now we must return to our posts before Richtofen catches on"_ , Takeo said. It would also give Dempsey time to process everything and clear his head. We all filed out the generator room before we were met with the silhouette of a man stood in the path before us. Richtofen had been waiting for us; my heart sank as I braced myself.

 _"Und_ ** _vhat_** _do ve have here? A meeting_ ** _without_** _inviting_ ** _me_** _?"_ Richtofen's eyes smouldered.

 _"Richtofen, she does not have any contact with the little girl. We have interrogated her and she has told us everything"_ , Takeo began, outlining the script for us to follow.

 _"Jou mean jou interrogated zhe fräu without_ ** _ME_** _?! Oh, jou know how much I love a good..._ ** _interrogation_** _"_ , Richtofen snarled with a devious smile.

 _"Remember what I told you earlier, Richtofen"_ , Takeo indicated, referring to making me his liability. He knew that I wasn't scheming with Samantha like Richtofen had suggested. Richtofen's eyes moved onto me and he narrowed them in defeat.

 _"Do not zhink zhis means I vill accept jou without keeping mein suspicions"_ , he hissed before storming off. We all let out a sigh of relief.

_We had bought ourselves more time._

The evening was beginning to set in so we all returned to the quarters. Takeo and Nikolai got ready for watch duty as they prepared their guns and supplies. Despite Dempsey's prior snoring, he went out like a light as he crashed onto his bed. I stayed close to the fire before sleep began to call to me.

I suspected I was being watched again but shrugged it off and wrapped up tightly under the blankets. I was too tired to deal with Richtofen until tomorrow.

_End of chapter ten..._


	11. Chapter Eleven: Professional Opinion

Richtofen called a meeting outside the mainframe teleporter the next day. We sat on the steps whilst he paced back and forth lecturing us on what we were going to do:

_"Ve must connect zhe teleporters to zhis mainframe. I have poured over mein research und I have calculated how ve can achieve zhis in order to reach our next destination."_

The three men beside me looked to each other remembering my prediction.

 _"Yeah, that's cool and all, doc. But where the fuck are we going to next?"_ Dempsey casually asked trying not to arouse Richtofen's suspicion.

 _"Zhat is_ ** _none_** _of jour business, shtupid American"_ , Richtofen snapped.

 _"Jou shall see vhen ve get zhere, ja?"_ He sang as he continued. Looks like I was going to have to wait to be vindicated.

 _"Zhe brat shall be sending mein_ ** _delicious_** _minions any day now. Ve must be prepared, she vill not like our plan!"_ Richtofen stated.

 _"But_ ** _why_** _have we not seen any hellpigs for days now? Where did they go? I miss popping their heads"_ , Nikolai grumbled.

 _"Oh, zhere zhere Nikolai"_ , Richtofen cooed.

 _"I miss zheir screams of agony, it is like_ ** _music_** _to mein ears"_ , he continued, savouring his words.

 _"But! I shtill suspect it has somezhing to do vith zhe arrival of zhe_ ** _voman_** _"_ , he said as he glared over at me like I ruined his fun. I returned the look before reminding him that I had a name.

 _"Vhatever"_ , he replied as he waved a gloved hand dismissively.

The rest of the day was spent preparing for the return of the undead. Tank cleaned his M16 and Nikolai counted his bullets as Takeo boarded the leftover windows. I felt completely out of place. I felt useless so I kept out of everyone's way and let them get on with it so I went over to investigate the mystery box. I looked up at the sky in search of the light.

Once I pin-pointed it's location, I made my way to the box down the stairs from the Jugg machine. I passed the bouncing betties again but didn't bother trying to collect them because I knew I didn't have any points. As I turned the corner I could see the familiar glow of the mystery box as it beckoned me closer.

But then I realised I didn't have any points for that _either_. I was correct as the box refused to spin - I sighed, dejectedly.

 _"Jou should know how zhis 'game' vorks"_ , Richtofen scoffed. I jumped and quickly turned around to face him. He was the last person I wanted to see right now.

 _"Oh great, funny how you crawl out the woodwork at the perfect time"_ , I rolled my eyes. Richtofen ignored me and continued walking past me towards the box. It began to spin as we stood listening to the melody before the box stopped on the wunderwaffe. I watched him cheer with joyful glee as he took it knowing fine well it was going to be the reason the teleporter would be overloaded. I didn't intervene as things were playing out just like the game.

I was shaken from my thoughts as I heard the melody play again. Richtofen had spun the mystery box for a second time and I looked on. It stopped on the cymbal monkey which, to my utter shock, was handed to me. He extended a gloved hand which was gripping the little monkey. I looked up at him after eyeing it suspiciously; his face was stern and his brow furrowed.

 _"Take zhe damn monkey already. I made it meinshelf jou know!"_ He snapped before singing the latter. I stepped forward to take the monkey from him as he watched my every move. I stepped back with my gift before looking back up at him.

 _"Jou are so_ ** _useless_** _in zhis world, aren't jou? It isn't much of a 'game' now, is it? Surely, jou know how zhe monkey works at least. Zhat should be pretty straightforward for jou"_ , he said as he narrowed his eyes. I shook my head - _he was right._ I didn't know what else to say and it was typical he would appear to remind me of this when I was feeling my most insecure. He raised an eyebrow.

 _"Vhat? No sarcastic retort?"_ He asked expectantly. I shrugged and laughed

 _"But you're right"_ , I replied confidently.

 _"I appreciate the monkey though. I'm surprised you even bothered - I could've just asked Dempsey"_ , I continued.

Richtofen pursed his lips at the mention of Dempsey's name.

 _"Zhat_ ** _idiot_** _couldn't look after anyvone!"_ He snapped.

 _"He can barely keep_ ** _himshelf_** _alive. I vould not exshpect him to look after jou"_ , Richtofen laughed before restoring his spiteful demeanour. I rolled my eyes before Richtofen leaned closer.

 _"I shee he hasn't bedded jou yet"_ , he grinned awaiting the shock to radiate from my face which subsequently did. Though, I'd like to argue it was to a lesser extent than the doctor would've liked.

 _"I'm afraid I have morals, that thing you seem to have lost--"_ , I snapped back without caring what the consequences would be. As expected, before I could finish the last word Richtofen pinned me against the wall. Though, _thankfully,_ I didn't have a knife held to my throat like Dempsey recieved. Richtofen's face was mere inches away from mine:

 _"Jou vill_ ** _not_** _shpeak to me like zhat, jou vill know jour_ ** _place_** _!"_ He ordered. His eyes were a terrifying icy blue which made him look all the more terrifying - _but they were still beautiful._ The revelation distracted me from the threat he had just administered; which must've been clear as he was now frowning in irritation.

 _"Did jou not hear me, voman?!"_ He hissed angrily - puzzled by my reaction. I came to and looked directly into his eyes before saying

 _"I wondered what colour your eyes would be. I see they're really the pale blue ones. It goes well with your intimidating demeanour"_ , I smiled.

 _"But they're still_ ** _lovely_** _"_ , I added, knowing this would take him off guard.

And right on cue, he flashed me a look of shock before quickly pulling away and turning his back to me. I was pretty sure I just made him blush - _perhaps he still had some humanity left after all._ He remained with his back to me before asking:

 _"Tell me, vhy does zhe American not enchant jou? He sheems to possess zhe necessary biomarkers of fertility zhat sheems to enchant most vomen"_ , he enquired.

I paused processing what he just asked me before responding with:

 _"Look, Dempsey isn't the type for me. He's a nice guy--"_ , Richtofen rolled his eyes and interrupted me with an audible scoff.

 _"--his heart is in the right place but regardless of my rigid morals; I would not pursue him"_ , I continued. Richtofen was silent as if he was processing my response. He finally turned around and began analysing my body language, it was fairly obvious but more so considering my background in doing the very same to others.

 _"You know, doctor. I am well aware you are psychoanalysing me right now. It tends to help if you don't make it obvious to the subject, though"_ , I laughed.

 _"I_ ** _will_** _allow you know that I have undergone extensive study of psychology"_ , I added. He raised an eyebrow before returning to face me.

 _"Oh, so jou are now_ ** _voluntarily_** _offering up information about jourshelf now?"_ He grinned darkly.

 _"Und vhat did zhis_ ** _shtudy_** _entail?"_ he enquired. I looked at him unfazed despite the fact he was now deliberately towering over me and I was trapped between him and the wall behind me.

 _"My study focussed mainly on serial killers and psychopaths"_ , I began.

 _"I wanted to analyse these monsters. I_ ** _wanted_** _to be the one to cage them"_ , I paused gauging his reaction.

 _"Und jou zhink I am a monster, don't jou?"_ Richtofen growled in a low voice. I held my ground despite his invasion of my personal space; I _was_ used to it by now after all.

 _"You have allowed yourself to become one"_ , I finally said. This seemed to intrigue him.

 _"Jou imply zhat I vas vonce somezhing more..._ ** _human_** _. How can jou be so sure zhat I vas not born like zhis?"_ He glared.

 _"Everyone is born with a moral compass,_ ** _you are no exception._** _Some just lose theirs - whether voluntarily or by circumstance"_ , my response sparked further intrigue.

 _"Und vhat category do jou zhink I come under? Please,_ ** _do_** _enlighten me vith jour professional opinion"_ , he mocked.

 _"Without going into it too much, I suspect your high intellectual capacity came with the drawback that you struggled to understand the less logic-driven things in life. Human interactions baffle me sometimes too, but I suspect you have low emotional intelligence"_ , I thought aloud. I could tell the last part offended him but he knew I was correct. He stayed silent wanting me to continue so I obliged.

"I _think this laid the foundations for other problems to arise; namely, feeling isolated from your peers who could never equal your brilliance. You became bored of others because you never found anyone who could challenge you. This further stunted your social skills and caused you to retreat further into your studies; thus compensating for your social shortcomings through your work. When you hit puberty this would've frustrated you as I doubt you were as successful with women as say... Dempsey"_ , I jibed with the latter part.

But he wasn't angry. He remained silent wanting me to continue further. It felt like he wanted to hear more out of morbid curiosity and, _again_ , I obliged.

 _"This would've really caused you to retreat even further into your work. By this point, you would've reached adolescence as a socially dysfunctional individual. Any dealings with others would likely be constrained to matters related to work. You were tolerated by your colleagues because your intelligence was unmatched but even that fueled academic animosity between you"_ , I didn't want to say any more as I was aware I was close to striking a raw nerve. But Richtofen looked on eagerly awaiting more. I sighed before continuing:

 _"By this point your misanthropy manifested through your desire to be around death as well as maiming and killing, though, there is more to why you partake in such acts"_ , I paused as Richtofen finally spoke.

 _"Und_ ** _vhat_** _is the reason?"_ He leaned in.

 _"You find company among corpses - though they cannot speak back to you - they also cannot_ ** _abandon_** _you. Your methods of violence have one common denominator. You choose methods which involve an intimate investment in the kill. There's a reason why you choose to stab. It's impersonal and intimate - you subconsciously crave_ ** _intimacy_** _. It also suggests more sexual connotations of penetration but I think I'll stop there"_ , that was as much as I was willing to say. I really didn't want to talk about sex with Richtofen.

The man in question was awash with both anger and fascination. He eyed me curiously and the anger boiled away.

 _"Sehr gut, I am impressed"_ , he sang. I blinked, speechless.

 _"Jou aren't as shtupid as jou look"_ , he grinned before disappearing back into his lab.

 _"Doctor"_ , I called out to him before he shut the door. He stopped and turned to face me with the same smile still etched on his lips. As he saw my solem expression; the smile quickly drained away as I said:

_"Doctor, there's_ **_always_ ** _a way out of the well - it only depends on whether you choose to climb out."_

He looked a little puzzled before I turned and left him to think about it.

_End of part eleven..._


	12. Chapter Twelve: Demons In Human Flesh

I was shocked with how well Richtofen had taken my analysis - _he seemed to just skip away._ But the crux of the matter lay in my parting words and he _knew_ it too. His face said it all when I uttered that sentence; the thinly veiled look of hopelessness proved to me that he felt consigned to what he had become. Despite his constant reassurances that he _'enjoyed'_ being this way.

I shook my head as I recounted what just happened and quickly returned to the guys. We made the necessary preparations before the sun set and were getting ready to assume our positions for the night. Dempsey and I were on night watch though he always just let me sleep. But this time I couldn't stop thinking about my conversation with Richtofen.

I didn't doubt my abilities; I _knew_ I was on the mark with my analysis. But I had expected to leave the encounter with some kind of injury for being so candid. I had resigned myself to being maimed for my audacity but these were words he _needed_ to be told. He _allowed_ me to push the boundaries as he kept goading me on - _like he wanted me to prove I could understand him._

I shuddered as I remembered the lunatic glaring intently into my face whilst having to throw together an impromptu case study. I had been around many psychpaths but, _admittedly_ , I hadn't been around ones that murdered, _yet_. I'd always tried to prepare myself for the day it would happen but I'd hoped it would be in the safety of a prison interview with guards on hand to come to my aid.

I thought back to my first case study; a Japanese cannibal. A simple documentary had steered me onto this path and fueled my self-appointed crusade against these demons in human flesh. He never saw any jail time despite being found guilty - _his wealthy father's influence played a role -_ but the insanity plea allows many of his kind to evade justice.

He roams the streets of Tokyo a free man and sits amongst the scrum of commuters on the metro. Most are blissfully unaware they are sharing a carriage with a cannibal as they have long forgotten who he even is anymore. Which is likely due to waning media coverage - _despite his own attempts to keep it alive._ And he, _of course_ , enjoys talking about it because it allows him to relive the crime. Everything that was felt in that moment comes flooding back with each recollection - _any_ _monetary_ _incentive is merely a bonus._

He was, by his own admission, deformed, under 5ft in height and ugly. To most, he looked weak and unthreatening but as I scoured the internet for every interview he did; it was clear the film crews were absolutely terrified of him. They would be visibly uncomfortable as they huddled into his tiny council flat in Tokyo - _given to him through his father's doing._

And this reaction likely fueled his already grandiose sense of self. Despite his awareness of his shortcomings; he, _like many of these demons_ , suffer illusions of grandeur. The house was rather ordinary except for the bedroom. The walls were plastered with Japanese women despite his crime having been motivated by the fetishisation of white women - _he saw it as an_ _'improvement'._

The photos were merely pictures of Japanese pop idols taken from magazines and photoshoots - _nothing remotely sexual._ It was terrifying to wonder what these girls would do if they realised their photos were being worshipped by a cannibal.

But in the end, his motives also boiled down to an extreme desire for intimacy - _much like Richtofen._ Whether trying to _literally_ consume intimacy or create it through torture like Richtofen; they all seem to crave it. Innocent, _untainted_ , intimacy that becomes increasingly more sexual and subsequently perverted. The deeper the desire becomes; the more distortion and invertion that takes place in their mind.

_And it quickly becomes the complete opposite._

I snapped back to the present as Dempsey held out his pack of cigarettes. I thanked him before taking one.

 _"How ya holdin' up?"_ Dempsey asked softly. I looked up at him and gave him a brief smile before lighting my cigarette.

 _"Well, I was going to ask you the same thing. You looked so overloaded with information today... I'm sorry"_ , I replied after taking my first puff. Dempsey hung his head before lighting his own and took a sharp draw. He held in the smoke before breathing a big sigh.

 _"Oh man, I don't know if I'll ever fully register it. But you don't need to apologise. I'd rather that than you living some kinda lie just to protect us"_ , he said before smiling a little.

 _"I bet Richtofen's too egotistical to even believe it. Considering the guy has his head so far up his own ass!"_ Dempsey laughed as he added in the jibe. I laughed because _even I_ wasn't sure whether he'd even acknowledged it yet. It was pretty tragic that he's on this big quest to become a god of a universe which I'm now telling him is just the tip of the iceberg.

I wondered what he'd do if he ended up in my universe. Or maybe now that was his plan so he could expand his godliness to cover mine. _What a Richtofen kind of thing to do, I thought._ Truthfully though, he _was_ likely still in denial and trying to carry out his Grand Scheme from the game. And I didn't want to give him the inspiration to _'up his god game'_. I banished the thought before looking back at Dempsey who was sitting quietly as he enjoyed his smoke.

He looked up and flashed me a smile but I could see he was still troubled. I didn't want to pry so I told him to get some sleep whilst I kept watch. His eyes lit up at the thought of a proper night's sleep, gladly took me up on my offer and stubbed out his cigarette. He hadn't even smoked much of it.

I sat finishing mine as I listened to the silence around me. It was stifling and heavy on my ears but Dempsey's notoriously loud snoring began which brought some life back into the place. And, _for once_ , it didn't bother me to have someone snoring away next to me. I just sat back and looked out at the ruins. But I felt my curiosity nag me to look up at Richtofen's window which I tried to do out of my peripheral vision.

I could see a faint glow from his office, _though_ , it looked too weak to facilitate work. _Maybe he'd finally fallen sleep for once, I thought._ But to be on the safe side, I didn't dare stray too far from the sleeping Dempsey.

_I really didn't want to see Richtofen for a while._

_End of part twelve..._


	13. Chapter Thirteen: A Change In POV

It was late into the night as Richtofen hunched over the desk littered with papers. His brain buzzed with formulas and hypotheses but sleep was beginning to creep up. He stood up and went to the open window for some air. The crisp night air eased his fatigue as he loosened his tie and undid the collar buttons of his shirt. His eyes were bleary from reading but he could make out a shadowy figure and the light from a cigarette.

He squinted to focus his eyes before realising it was her. He tried to continue thinking about his work but their previous conversation gnawed at the back of his mind. _What kind of female was this?_ He hadn't been near a psychologist since he relented to his mother's insistence as a child - _which caused her to cease the beatings at least._ Up until that point, he'd spent his childhood being beaten and berated whenever his mother - or _'Mutti'_ as he called her - suspected him of something she deemed _'dirty'._

It began with small things like getting his shorts muddy or not singing loudly enough during mass - _the usual things children would be guilty of._ However, as he got older, she quickly began to blame him for _almost_ everything that went wrong. _Coupled with this_ , his older sister used him as a scapegoat whenever she did something wrong and wanted to evade the blame. _Which only reinforced Mutti's conclusions._

Richtofen knew deep down, she was stressed with the responsibility of raising two children alone. He never knew his father yet he wondered how someone as brilliant as himself was languishing in poverty with two people who had nothing in common with him. In his mind, he began imagining his father was a brilliant scientist who lived in one of the surrounding Manors of the Bavarian countryside where they lived.

Perhaps a _Baron_ or a _Count_ had impregnated Mutti and it was _her_ fault she didn't disclose this to his father. Maybe he was completely unaware he had a brilliant son who was just _waiting_ to meet with him. Mutti _had_ worked odd jobs at various Manors as a servant; she was by no means good-looking but seemed to look appealing enough to allow an affair to take place.

He had also suspected his sister, _Anna_ , did not share the same father as him. She was dim and simple minded; though, she made sure Richtofen knew how she felt about him. She would call him weird, belittle his projects and make sure to distance herself from him in public.

 _"Vhy do I have to have a brozher who's a freak like jou!?"_ She would yell in frustration as she compared her life to her peers. Their brothers were always helpful and supportive whereas Richtofen refused to _even_ be part of the family. He would be absent for hours as he undertook his _'projects';_ which consisted of making dens and reading academic books he'd stolen during their trips to town. It wasn't like they could afford them anyway - _how else was he going to learn and study?_

Anna was always the one having to support Mutti and began to prepare for work as a seamstress by the age of eight. She began to help her whenever she had batches to do and quickly took on her own work. The money was poor and they barely scraped by to eat. Any money Richtofen procured on his own was stashed away whilst he plotted his escape from the peasantry. _But unlike Richtofen_ , Anna never protested nor questioned their meager existence.

Their loathing for each other grew deeper throughout the years. Richtofen would note how much his sister took solace in her dolls; she would brush their hair, make them beautiful clothes with her newfound skills and left over fabric. This was how she spent her time between jobs. He would look up from his current read and watch her engage in such simple infantile behaviour.

One such day, Mutti stormed up the stairs to accuse Richtofen of something as usual. This time, Mutti's dress had been smeared with makeup and her dresser subsequently raided. She'd collected a small amount of cosmetics which she prided in being able to have. Her one red lipstick would be kept for special occasions like Christmas. The two powders she owned were used sparingly and often watered down with flour to make them last longer.

Yet, _prior to this accusation_ , he'd seen Anna sneak into Mutti's room as she paraded about wearing her mother's makeup and dress. When she had slipped off Mutti's dress - _the one she claimed she got married in_ \- she had smeared red lipstick along the neckline. This was a dress that always kept entombed in a garment bag like a buried time capsule from when things weren't so bleak.

So when Mutti came in to accuse _him_ \- he was completely flabbergasted. And despite him telling her what he saw his sister do; she saw no fault in Anna - it _had_ to be Edward's fault. And, as usual, Anna would declare him a liar to Mutti.

In his logical mind, it made so much more sense that the only other female in the house would engage in such a typically female behaviour. Yet, Mutti would rather have accused _him_ of cross dressing; it was always his fault after all - he _was_ a filthy little deviant.

So she grabbed him by the wrist after berating and calling him a pervert and took him down to the kitchen. She glared at him, her eyes filled with hate and loathing, before she lit the stove. The flames danced to attention before being amplified.

 _"Jou are a_ ** _disgusting_** _little boy, vhat did I_ ** _ever_** _do to God to create such a devil? Vhy_ ** _couldn't_** _jou just be like jour sister?_ ** _Jou_** _are the reason jour father left us"_ , she spat as her mouth twisted and contorted with every word.

Richtofen was still stood by the window looking out at Kiana before he closed his eyes. He began to feel tears welling up like the day it happened.

She pulled down his trousers and lifted him up onto the stove. The ensuing pain and agony caused him to cry and beg whilst his sister smirked as she watched from afar in the hallway.

That day changed _a lot_ of things. It was the first time he'd ever heard Mutti mention his father and it was to blame _him_ for the man's absence in their life. That day was like a dagger to the heart. So, he decided that if he was to be punished for things he _didn't_ do then he may as well _do_ them. Richtofen began to take time away from his books to cause all kinds of havoc.

It first started with his sister as he revelled in her anguish whilst he crushed the heads of her beloved dolls and tore them apart. But the thrill wore off and he swiftly escalated to setting fires, mutilating small animals and engaging in deviant behaviour. He would dabble in voyeurism as he would watch the girls in the village as they bathed. This then deteriorated to breaking into their bedrooms at night to watch them sleep. If they weren't going to approach _him_ then he was going to approach _them_ \- _whether they wanted it or not._ And, in their sleeping state, they couldn't speak back to insult him.

Thus, Richtofen began to shrug off the restraints of morality and human decency as he continued to push the boundaries - _always striving for a more depraved act than the last._ He felt like he was getting back at Mutti, who, would still continue to beat him. She would still continue to call him a deviant but now she was _really_ getting one. So by the time he saw a psychologist, he had already crafted an extensive repertoire of crimes committed as a minor. Crimes which had started out as an act of rebellion quickly became engrained behaviour.

_And it was something he now partook in for pleasure._

_End of part thirteen..._


	14. Chapter Fourteen: The Shrink

Richtofen's behaviour quickly became notorious; making him well known in the village. It had also attracted the attention of an academic from Berlin who sought out difficult children for study. He'd offered to do it for free and even compensated Mutti for any inconvenience caused by Richtofen's absence. Unknown to him, Mutti and Anna were glad to be away from Richtofen - _let alone be paid for it._

The elderly academic began to travel to the village for weekly sessions with Richtofen; who remembered the man surprisingly fondly - _Doctor Heinrich Vogel._ Richtofen recalled how he enjoyed running circles around the poor man as he was clearly too incompetent for the job. Dr Vogel _could see_ the causal relationship between Richtofen's behaviour and Mutti's abuse but his incompetence lay in what to _do_ about it. He'd written many papers yet his hypotheses were rarely put into action.

Richtofen enjoyed leading the man to all kinds of strange and humorous conclusions - _even at the age of twelve._ He especially preyed on Dr Vogel's predisposition to make grand conclusions from mere assumptions. For the first six months, Richtofen had convinced the man that he harboured homosexual tendencies. He would drop breadcrumbs through offhand comments which Dr Vogel would eagerly take, _hook, line and sinker,_ as he jotted down everything in his notebook.

Though, these sessions did become something Richtofen enjoyed and looked forward to as he hadn't many social interactions with others up to this point. Dr Vogel provided a space for Richtofen to test his hypotheses on how to deal with others and what boundaries could be pushed. And, _of course_ , he revelled in seeing his mother's anguish at the knowledge that his sessions proved fruitless.

He even admired _some_ traits of the psychologist. He taught Richtofen to play chess and offered intellectual stimulation for his young mind when they would go off on tangents and discuss philosophy and science. He would always come to the village bearing gifts for Richtofen. Gifts such as academic manuscripts amongst other things that interested Richtofen - _which he gleamed from their conversations._

He offered himself to Richtofen as a reasonable opponent for debates and it was during these sessions that he honed his abilities. He saw Dr Vogel up until the age of eighteen - _before leaving the village and finally escaping Mutti and Anna._ Richtofen always felt safe in the knowledge that the man who claimed to be a respected academic in childhood development would be unable to ever breach the superficial and get anywhere near his inner sanctum. These sessions were merely an outlet for him to let off steam.

But, _there_ was this female who appeared out of the aether, who told him his very reality was a mere fictional footnote in her universe; and could breach the very defenses he'd spent decades delicately crafting. She had been startlingly accurate in her analysis - _more so than Richtofen cared to think about._ She was strange; the opposite of an academic, adorned with piercings and tattoos and an unconventional outlook. She was the _complete opposite_ of the metaphorical punching bag of his youth.

Richtofen walked over to his desk and retrieved a key from his pocket. He unlocked a hidden drawer and pulled out a box before removing an electronic device. He pressed a button on the side causing it to light up before being confronted with a lock screen whose code he had not cracked yet. The only information he could access from the strange device was the music player. He had listened to many recordings which the device played to him and decided to listen to another before finally retiring for the night.

Richtofen had heard many strange songs which he assumed were popular in the year 2020. The device contained some older songs which were apparently made in the 1960s and 70s - those alone gave him an education on music of the future. He sat down at his desk before skipping to the next song and pressing play. The phone read _'Doja Cat- THRWD'_. As he listened to the song, he tried more combinations noting the ones he had tried - _acquiring an ever growing list of failed attempts._

He took a break and closed his eyes trying to take in the music which, truthfully, gave him a headache. How strange the future was, he thought. The song finished before being automatically replaced with another which read _"Lomboy - Loverboy"_. The melody drifted in the air and he allowed the words to carry him away. The song was surprisingly intoxicating and he found himself enjoying this one.

 _"Loverboy"_ , the voice seductively called out like a siren.

_"--don't play it cool._  
_You should have known,_  
_How I want you."_

He began to drift off as sleep carried him away to dream with the song still playing.

Suddenly, Richtofen awoke to find the room shrouded in darkness. The smell of decay contaminated the air and the weight of dread clung to his body. He looked around the room before his gaze landed upon a figure; shadowy and deformed, which stood hunched in the corner. It's body convulsed and contorted in agony though no sound was emitted - _it was nonetheless still delightful to watch, he thought._

His heart raced as he rose from his chair and readied his knife. The thing seemed unaware of his presence and he wanted to get a better look at it; perhaps even dissect it's carcass - _all for science, of course._ Richtofen silently moved across the room with such stealth - he _truly_ was a predator. As he got closer, he could hear small grunts and whines coming from the creature which only served to excite him further.

He reached up as he prepared to restrain the creature from behind. But, as he took a deep breath to ready himself, the creature stopped dead before snapping around with inhuman speed. It's bones cracked and snapped with the force before it subsequently revealed it's face to Richtofen - _who looked wide eyed in horror._ He was confronted with the now deformed face of Ludwig Maxis; their faces mere inches away from each other. Maxis snarled and snapped before letting out a demonic roar. The aggressive display appeared restrained as if some force was holding Maxis back from truly devouring Richtofen.

And then he heard a laugh; the laughter of a child - _Samantha_. Richtofen was no longer enthralled by Maxis' baring of teeth and was now listening to Samantha cackle as he tried to place her location.

 _"Let's play hide and seek, Teddy!"_ Samantha mocked before her voice disappeared and Maxis' body fell to the floor as a pile of ashes. Richtofen wiped a bead of sweat from his brow with a handkerchief which he removed from his pocket. He braced himself before heading to the door and taking a deep breath - his hand clutching the knob. He finally turned it, opening the office door and stepping out into the unknown which awaited him.

The corridors were silent and devoid of life as Richtofen slowly made his way out to the forecourt to ready his men - _and the dreaded female_. She was going to be a liability, he thought, but he at least had _someone_ around who was able to intellectually stimulate him.

 _"She vould_ ** _never_** _love jou",_ a demonic voice hissed in his head. Samantha began to cackle, invading his thoughts.

 _"She vould_ ** _never_** _love a monster - jou don't even_ ** _know_** _vhat love_ ** _is_** _!"_ She continued as she clearly revelled in Richtofen's anguish.

 **"Shut up!"** He shouted, clutching his head.

 _"Jou know_ ** _no one_** _could ever love jou, Teddy. Not_ ** _even_** _jour own_ ** _Mutti_** _!"_ Samantha's voice reverberated in his mind.

 _"Leave me be!"_ Richtofen demanded - he could feel his sanity beginning to elude him. He looked up and began looking around trying to find the little brat. Samantha let out an inhuman scream before she emerged from the darkness. She moved like a specter towards him before stopping face to face - _her eyes filled with hatred._ Richtofen readied his knife by his side which Samantha became aware of. She smirked before letting out another high pitched shriek forcing him to drop it and cover his ears.

 _"Teddy. IS. A. LIIIIIAAAARRR"_ , her voice shrieked before she swooped in to devour him.

_Everything went black._

_End of part fourteen..._


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Allies

Richtofen awoke in his office slumped across his desk. The device was still cycling through the playlist and now played a new song; it was familiar but he'd never heard it. Richtofen sat up and got his bearings before realising he had been dreaming; a thought that was subsequently thrown to the wayside as he focused on the song trying to decipher it's familiarity.

It was Kiana, she was singing. It wasn't perfect but it was still pleasant and hearing her voice soothed his nerves. He pressed a button to illuminate the device - the song was titled _"Paramore- Decode Cover"_.

_"How can I decide what's right?_  
_When you're clouding up my mind._  
_I_ _can't_ _win your losing fight,_  
_All the time..."_

Richtofen closed his eyes, feeling the sorrow in her voice - _but he did not delight in this._ He continued to listen intently to the words before he always taken aback by one of the stanzas.

_"...The truth is hiding in your eyes_  
_And it's hanging on your tongue_  
_Just boiling in my blood_  
_But you think that I can't see_  
_What kind of man that you are_  
_If you're a man at all,"_

Richtofen's eyes suddenly opened. The words hit like a blow to the stomach - _like he was the intended recipient of her sorrow._ The thought of Samantha's words echoed in tandem as he felt a pang in his heart.

_"But you won't take away my pride,_  
_No not this time,_  
_Not this time,_  
_My thoughts you can't decode."_

Richtofen's heart began to race at the force in her voice.

 _"_ ** _Jou_** _are a monster"_ , a voice rang in his head. Richtofen closed his eyes before composing himself. He stopped the song and stood up before releasing a deep sigh. He buttoned the collar of his shirt and adjusted his tie before putting on his jacket, gloves and visor. The leather gloves creaked and groaned in protest as he slipped his hands into them.

A blend of voices made their way in through the open window causing his ears to prick up - _it was laughter._ He walked over to the window to investigate; Nikolai, Takeo and Dempsey sat playing cards as Kiana watched. Her face was full of life as she laughed at Dempsey's attempt to teach the two men the game.

 _"No Tak, that's not how you--_ ** _fuck sake_** _Nikolai! THAT'S NOT HOW YOU PLAY IT!"_ He yelled in frustration. Kiana fell from her seat and was now rolling around in a fit of laughter.

Richtofen thought of how his attempts at interrogation resulted in her falling to the very same kind of laughter.

 _"I don't sound like zhat"_ , he murmured, as he recalled the quote she had recited. His voice was deep, sonorous _and decidedly German._ Not the high pitched impression which pushed even her vocal chords to their limit. His thoughts were interrupted by the unrefined growl of Dempsey's voice.

 _"Yeah, well why don't you teach them then?"_ He was standing over Kiana and clearly not amused by her outburst. Kiana rose to her feet wiping tears from her cheek as she tried to console herself.

 _"No way, they're a lost cause! Did you see_ _Nikolai_ _?"_ She cried falling back into the clutches of laughter. Dempsey's frown evolved into a smile and he began laughing too. This confused Richtofen - _she wasn't taking him seriously after all._

He watched on as Dempsey put his arm around Kiana before lifting her up, earning a scream of laughter from her. Nikolai and Takeo were now engrossed in the display as they looked on.

 _"Put me down, meathead!"_ Kiana cried. Her Scottish accent made her sound furious though her face proved otherwise.

 _"Scottish people are scary"_ , Nikolai chucked as he took a sloppy swig from his vodka. Takeo grunted in agreement.

 _"Don't be silly, she's not scary. Look, she's like a little chihuahua or somethin'. You know those little dogs that are cute but terrifying?"_ Dempsey chuckled, clearly proud of his comparison.

 _"I'm not a bloody dug!"_ She laughed, still up in the air. The three men looked at each other in confusion. Kiana rolled her eyes,

 _"We call dogs 'dugs' in Scotland!"_ Everyone began to laugh again before Dempsey finally put her down.

Richtofen watched the whole spectacle with a look of bewilderment. How could someone so intelligent enjoy such infantile games? _She was so much better than this, he thought._ A smile crept along his mouth before he caught it and discarded it accordingly. _Humans are so strange._

Richtofen turned to make his way to the door to leave. Everyone was quietly cleaning their weapons while Kiana watched Dempsey dismantle a pistol. Richtofen emerged into the courtyard catching everyone's attention. He sighed before walking over to the group. The gravel crunching under his boots with each stride before ceasing.

 _"Vell?"_ He finally said.

 _"Sorry, Richtofen. Still no hell pigs"_ , Nikolai said - _somber_. Richtofen placed his hand under his chin; Nikolai's statement clearly started something in his mind.

 _How could this be? Richtofen thought to himself._ How very strange, he imagined the nightmare with Samantha was a bad omen. His nightmares tended to proceed an onslaught.

 _"Intereshting"_ , he finally replied.

 _"Zhey vill be here soon zhough, I can feel it. Ve must shtill be on our guard"_ , Richtofen commanded. He then turned to look at Dempsey and Kiana.

 _"Do jou know how to use a gun?"_ Richtofen enquired, narrowing his eyes at Kiana.

 _"No"_ , she quietly replied as if ashamed.

 _"To jour feet!"_ Richtofen snapped impatiently. Dempsey began to become visibly annoyed.

 _"Look, doc--"_ , he began.

 _"_ ** _Shut up_** _Dempshey! I am_ ** _not_** _shpeaking to jou!"_ Richtofen shouted. Surprisingly, Dempsey did as he was told. Richtofen was set on whatever he had planned.

 _"To jour feet"_ , Richtofen growled again. He was looking down at Kiana now before watching her rise to her feet as she was told.

Richtofen walked to stand in front of her before producing his Mauser C96 from the holster on his belt.

 _"Nikolai, round up jour empty bottles"_ , Richtofen demanded as Nikolai got up to collect them.

 _"Place zhem over zhere"_ , Richtofen pointed to a wall a few metres away. Nikolai walked over to begin placing the bottles in a row whilst Richtofen brought his attention back to Kiana; _who was anxiously eyeing his next move._

 _"Jou vill have to learn to defend jourshelf. Ve cannot always protect jou, it shimply isn't possible"_ , he said matter-of-fact.

 _"I know"_ , Kiana sighed. Dempsey quickly rose to his feet and protested:

 _"Look doc, I was gonna teach her--"_.

Richtofen slowly turned around to face Dempsey, seething with anger.

 _"Jou vill_ ** _shut up_** _or I vill tear out jour organs_ ** _und_** _feed zhem to jou! Jou vill_ ** _leave_** _und_ ** _not_** _interrupt me again!"_ He shouted. The anger was boiling and Dempsey was so taken aback that this was something Richtofen even _wanted_ to do. But Kiana was not in any danger as Takeo was still keeping a watchful eye. So Dempsey quietly backed off without a word.

Kiana looked at the back of Richtofen as Dempsey's face froze into a look of terror. It was never pleasant being around Richtofen but the animosity between the two men was visibly heightened. _To her shock,_ she watched Dempsey walk away and anxiously made eye contact with Takeo. He gave a nod, reassuring her he would not leave her alone with the doctor.

 _"Right zhen, vhere vere ve?"_ Richtofen sang as he swung round to look at Kiana again. She looked on in horror, unable to respond. Richtofen began to show her the pistol as he carefully instructed her how to use it. After absorbing his every word, he handed her the gun. Nikolai had finished setting up the bottles and also decided to make himself scarce.

 _"Ready zhe gun"_ , Richtofen hissed behind Kiana who was now turned to look at the bottles. She took a deep breath and raised her arms with the pistol in hand. Suddenly, she felt Richtofen close behind as he snaked his hands around hers to steady the gun. Kiana began to blush at the sudden closeness - _this was ridiculous._

 _"Aim for zhe firsht bottle, take jour time"_ , Richtofen ordered, the deep tones of his voice resonated in her ear.

It took a while to adjust to the weight of the gun and line up the shot. It definitely wasn't like the game and she was nowhere near as good as she was at that.

 _"I'm ready"_ , she finally spoke. Richtofen tightened his grip as she felt his chest press against her back. Kiana tried to shake off the goosebumps.

 _"Squeeze zhe trigger"_ , he called into her ear. How the heck was this supposed to help her learn? _Was he deliberately creating a stressful situation... for simulation purposes?!_ Kiana calmed her mind before readying her shot and indicating that she was going to pull the trigger. All the while trying to ignore Richtofen's breath in her ear.

The bottle shattered. The explosion of glass shards glittered in the sun.

 _"Very good"_ , Richtofen hissed. She could feel him smiling.

 _"Now, zhe next vone",_ he said softly. She readied the gun and pulled the trigger; this time it was much quicker to ready the shot. The second bottle exploded as the ground below was littered with heaps of glass. This time, Richtofen removed his hands from hers but remained pressed against her.

 _"I vant jou to try on jour own, I vill still be here"_ , he whispered.

_Oh great, that makes all the difference, Kiana thought sarcastically._

She lined up the shot even faster and indicated to Richtofen before pulling the trigger. The recoil of the gun sent a shock wave through her arms. She had never done this before and it was a strange sensation. Her muscles tensed as she stabilised the gun keeping it pointed directly at where the third bottle once stood.

 _"Nochmal"_ , his voice slightly ragged. Kiana assumed this meant _"again"_ though she was puzzled as to why he had reverted to German. She nonetheless lined up the shot; this time tensing her muscles in preparation for the recoil. The fourth bottle exploded.

Richtofen stood back and Kiana let out a sigh of relief that there was now space between them.

 _"Wunderbar!"_ Richtofen chirped which caused his voice to crack.

"I _vant jou to continue to practice for zhe rest of zhe day. Zhere is no shortage of bottles vith Nikolai around!" T_ he doctor exclaimed happily. Kiana turned to face him and handed him his pistol back before Richtofen stopped her.

 _"I vant jou to keep it"_ , he said to both her and Takeo's surprise.

 _"But--"_ , Kiana began.

 _"Nein, I have zhe wanderwaffe"_ , he replied. His voice was deep and sonorous - _it was chilling._ Richtofen removed the pistol's holster from his belt and attached it to the belt of the uniform Kiana had been given to wear. As he knelt down, Kiana felt uncomfortable - _unable to even look at Takeo._ Richtofen then rose to his feet and was now looking down at her.

 _"Jou can return zhe gun vhen jou are ready to veild somezhing better"_ , he explained before finally walking away leaving her and Takeo - _mouths agape._ Kiana quickly turned to Takeo:

 _"What the heck?"_ She whispered. Takeo stopped meditating and opened one eye.

 _"Richtofen sees you as an ally"_ , Takeo responded calmly, as if the answer was that obvious.

 _"You have earned your place among warriors"_ , he continued. The way Takeo put it made her smile, _it was a nice thought._ She always enjoyed more masculine pursuits like weightlifting, bodybuilding and cars. And she was glad she had worked on her arms which had been more than capable of withstanding the recoil.

 _"Warriors huh?"_ Kiana laughed before continuing:

_"Did you see Dempsey's face? So much for_ **_him_ ** _looking out for me"_

_End of part fifteen..._


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Words Unheard

Evening set in as dusk began to envelope the fiery sky. Nikolai, Kiana and Takeo were now back in the makeshift barracks by the fire. Dempsey, _on the other_ _hand_ , had not shown his face since his run-in with Richtofen. Takeo sat by the table as he arranged his ammunition whilst Nikolai did the same across from him. After a few minutes, Nikolai finally spoke up.

 _"Where is Dempsey?"_ He said as if only just realising.

 _"Maybe he went back for round two with Richtofen"_ , he added.

 _"It is no use cutting a stick when the fight is over"_ , Takeo responded across the table whilst he loaded bullets into a magazine.

 _"Da, I should've known you would respond with that crap"_ , Nikolai said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. Takeo shook his head in frustration.

Kiana was nestled in her blanket after the long day. She had been completely unaware of the exchange between the two men in the room as her mind was firmly on what transpired - _with Richtofen._

 _"He has_ ** _literally_** _gone from wanting_ ** _rid_** _of me to now wanting to invade my personal space and '_ ** _help me_** _' "_ , she thought anxiously. So much for Dempsey, mind you. _Days_ had gone by and Dempsey hadn't even started teaching her how to use a gun.

 _"It's clear he wants to assume a 'protector' role"_ , she thought. But instantly, her mind was back on Richtofen. He managed to even make teaching her creepy and weird. Everything he did was always tainted with undertones of weird - _which_ _was only funny in the game._

The thought of being one of the few people to ever be that close to him and live to tell the tale scared her. Richtofen may have been funny in the game but in reality, _or whatever this universe was_ , he was a cold-blooded psychopath. Kiana felt a pit in her stomach as it turned and twisted thinking about all the men, women and children he'd maimed or killed. All the sick experiments... _even those on Samantha._ We never heard about what he did to her and many had speculated that maybe he was a-- **_was there no end to this sick bastard's perversions?!_**

 _"We don't know if that part is true"_ , Kiana murmured as if it was any consolation and negated the atrocities he _had_ committed. Her stomach turned and knotted but she couldn't think about it anymore. She didn't want to think about the fact he'd invaded her personal space made her feel polluted by his poisoned mind.

Her racing thoughts were thrown to the wayside as she was brought back into the room by Nikolai's voice. He was now standing over her with Takeo as they tried to get her attention. Kiana snapped out of her trance and looked up.

 _"We are going out to watch now"_ , he said with concern in his slurred words.

 _"Are you okay? Maybe I leave a bottle of vodka to keep you company?_ _It is like teddy bear to Nikolai"_ , he added. Kiana shuddered; _Richtofen slept with a teddy bear._

 _"Hah, I'm okay thanks. I'm just tired and zoning out"_ , Kiana responded as she tried to be as convincing as possible. Takeo narrowed his eyes but Nikolai bought it.

 _"If you say so"_ , Nikolai shrugged.

 _"We will be nearby if you need us"_ , Takeo spoke as if reassuring her of whatever was clearly bothering her.

 _"Thank you, Takeo"_ , Kiana nodded as the men then turned to leave for their stations.

The draft snaked through the room despite the best efforts of the fire. Kiana pulled the canvas blanket over her more as she began to feel sleep calling to her. She began to doze and within a few seconds she was fast asleep. There was a sudden crescendo of male voices but they weren't Takeo or Nikolai's. The rough gravelly tones of Dempsey were unmistakable, but a German accent quickly followed.

They were heading for the room where, _unbeknownst to them_ , Kiana lay fast asleep. Dempsey burst in the room first before Richtofen peeked around the door before entering.

 _"Why the_ ** _fuck_** _aren't you shut in your office like you usually do? And what the fuck was_ ** _all tha_** _t today? Since_ ** _when_** _do_ ** _you_** _care about any of us?"_ Dempsey fired question after question. Richtofen finally sauntered in and sat at the table by the fire. He removed his visor before running a hand through his hair and slicking it back.

 _"She is not cut out for zhis life, Dempshey. She vas born during peacetime und she has never seen action - all zhis is alien to her. But she is intelligent, more zhan I even realise. Yet, she hides zhis from us"_ , Richtofen said candidly.

 _"And_ ** _this_** _is why you were so hard on her before?"_ Dempsey enquired.

 _"Ja, but zhere is much more to zhis voman. Und I zhink zhis is zhe reason she has found hershelf in our world"_ , Richtofen mused as he mulled his own words.

 _"How did she get here doc?"_ Dempsey asked. They were finally having a conversation without shouting or being at each others throats.

 _"Zhere are a few possibilities. Perhaps she knows herself und_ ** _perhaps_** _she'll offer zhis information in time"_ , Richtofen said. Kiana was petite and completely unthreatening - _at least physically_. But her strength lay within her mind.

 _"So you pulled that stunt today because of... all this?"_ Dempsey snapped as he raised an eyebrow at Richtofen.

 _"Nein, Dempshey._ ** _Jou_** _are just a_ ** _shtupid_** _American und I hate jou._ ** _No vone else_** _was offering to show her. Jou_ ** _didn't vant_** _to teach her because zhen she wouldn't need an_ ** _ape_** _to protect her - vhatever good zhat vould've done"_ , Richtofen hissed as he turned to look back at Dempsey who was now full of anger and balling his fists. Dempsey hadn't moved from the door the whole time. A cocky smirk snaked across Richtofen's face.

 _"I_ ** _must_** _say zhough, Dempshey. Jou have shown_ ** _marvellous_** _restraint conshidering she is zhe first voman ve have seen for_ ** _so long_** _. Or maybe jou_ ** _aren't_** _as good with vomen as jou zhought?"_ Richtofen laughed sarcastically.

 _"She doesn't sheem to be into meatheads; I vill admit I zhought she vould've been all over you"_ , he added in a whisper. But _something_ in his tone made Dempsey disregard the insults as he honed in on Richtofen's words. Then suddenly, his eyes widened:

 _"Oh my god, you_ ** _like_** _her, don't you?"_ Dempsey responded calmly as if today's incident now made sense. It was definitely weird to see the doc engaged in this adolescent conversation; they really were deprived of the opposite sex, Dempsey thought.

 _"Nein, Dempshey"_ , Richtofen murmured angrily - turning away from Dempsey.

 _"She'd sooner_ ** _cage_** _me"_ , he continued.

 _"I_ ** _know_** _she wouldn't go for a freak like you, doc. I was asking about the_ ** _other_** _way round"_ , Dempsey chuckled. Richtofen quietly glared at Dempsey who was now feeling victorious.

 _"Look, doc._ ** _Leave_** _her alone, don't come onto her and taint her with your fucked up - ness. I don't want to_ ** _even_** _think about you_ ** _ever_** _being with a woman"_ , Dempsey shuddered as Richtofen grew angrier. Before Dempsey could blink, Richtofen had his hand around his throat as Dempsey was now face to face with those cold calculating eyes.

The force of Richtofen getting up had thrown the chair he once sat on back before clattering against the wall. The animosity between the men hung in the air before their attention was turned to Kiana who had been woken up. Both men had forgotten about their fight as Richtofen swung around to see what Dempsey was looking at.

 _"Kiana?"_ Richtofen quizzed.

He had no idea she had been sharing the same quarters as the other three men. _Surely_ they'd had the sense to find her a private space?

 _"Oh, you absolutely scared me Dempsey!"_ Kiana shouted as she had jumped up at the commotion - _readying Richtofen's pistol_. She lowered the pistol before speaking - _though she appeared groggily unaware of Richtofen's presence._

 _"Glad you're back. Nikolai was--"_ , she paused as she looked at Richtofen and then back at Dempsey. Richtofen looked like a deer in the headlights, though deep down, some small part of him wished she had heard their discussion.

_Dempsey had a big grin on his face._

_"The doc just wanted a little chat. Sorry we woke you, darlin'. We didn't know you were in here."_ Richtofen physically cringed at ' _darlin_ ' - which made Dempsey grin all the more.

 _"Mein apologies, frau. Ve did not know jou vere here. Jou vere hidden in all zhose blankets"_ , Richtofen said, hoping Dempsey would just play along. _Much to his surprise he did._

 _"Yeah, you're so tiny we just thought it was a bundle of blankets"_ , Dempsey said as he let out a gravelly laugh.

 _"You look so cosy, I wish I could join you"_ , Dempsey continued without looking at Richtofen. The German balled a fist causing the leather of his gloves to creak and groan before he suddenly relinquished his grip.

 _"Frau. I zhink jou should be given jour own quarters, a_ ** _lady_** _shouldn't have to sleep amongst pigs"_ , Richtofen responded as he motioned for Kiana to grab her things. Dempsey stood dumbfounded, completely unable to intervene. It _was_ true that she probably shouldn't be sharing a room with three men; regardless of whether any of them had any ill intent.

Richtofen had already begun to pack up her things as he slung Kiana's blankets across his arm. She sleepily put on her boots and gathered the rest of her meager belongings.

 _"Um, you don't really need to bother, Doctor"_ , Kiana replied with sleep still in her voice.

 _"Nein, zhis is not suitable for a lady. I had no idea zhe_ ** _dummkopfts_** _didn't have zhe intelligence to get jou a private shpace"_ , Richtofen replied reassuringly. Kiana stood up and Richtofen directed her out of the room towards his building. Once Dempsey realised this he narrowed his eyes at Richtofen who was now smirking with victory as he guided the groggy woman to her new quarters.

Once Kiana had left the room, Dempsey quickly grabbed Richtofen and pulled him back.

 _"You_ ** _better not_** _get any ideas, doc. She's_ ** _safer_** _with us"_ , Dempsey growled through gritted teeth. Richtofen laughed and rolled his eyes.

_"Zhere are rooms in zhe_ **_shcience ving_ ** _vhere zhe scientists shtayed. Vone vas female, she vill be suited zhere. Und zhere is a_ **_lock_ ** _on zhe door."_

_"How the_ ** _fuck_** _do you know that?!_ ** _What else_** _are you keeping from us? I_ ** _knew_** _you knew more about this place than you're telling us"_ , Dempsey growled.

 _"Nein, dummkopf, I found it vhen I searched zhe building to clear out any of mein patients zhat remained"_ , Richtofen smiled before Dempsey released him. He always had an answer to counter any suspicion.

Richtofen left to lead Kiana into the building and up the stairs to the scientists' quarters.

 _"This must be where Maxis and the others slept. I wonder if Richtofen was given a room or they just knew he'd sleep in his office"_ , Kiana chuckled to herself. After passing many doors which lined the hall Richtofen stopped outside a door, the name plate was gone as were a few others which had been damaged or missing. Richtofen opened the door and ushered Kiana in without entering the room. He stayed on the other side of the threshold as he bade her goodnight.

Kiana spent the remainder of the night in her new quarters. The bed was comfy and there was _even_ a dresser with various perfumes and lipsticks. It was clear a woman had lived here. The only woman she remembered from the game was Sophia, _was this really her quarters?_

 _"I always thought Sophia was kinda geeky"_ , Kiana thought to herself. Behind the left side of the door was a wardrobe. Richtofen probably hadn't seen it since the door opened on that side.

 _"I'll have to check that in the morning"_ , Kiana thought excitedly to herself before continuing:

_"Sorry Sophia, but I can't wait to get out of this scratchy uniform!"_

_End of part sixteen..._


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Serenity

The sun glowed through the window as it illuminated the metal frame of the window. Kiana began to awaken, slowly opening her eyes to adjust to the light. She was so grateful to wake up in a comfortable bed - complete with it's _own_ luxurious bedding! The room was like an oasis amongst the destruction.

Suddenly, Kiana's eyes fell on the wardrobe as she excitedly jumped out of bed to investigate it. She flung open the door to find beautiful blouses, skirts, shoes - _and_ _even jewellery!_ All these treasures had just been sitting here waiting to be discovered.

She hastily searched for something to wear before settling on a knitted turtle neck top and pencil skirt; unfortunately the shoes were all heels. Kiana was disappointed at the thought of having to spoil the outfit with ugly boots before her face lit up at an idea. She hurriedly made her way to the dresser and searched the drawers. Her eyes quicky scanned the contents before settling on an item. She let out a sigh of relief before producing a needle and spool of thread - _this could work._

She returned to the wardrobe and picked out a hanger with a long skirt that came down to her ankles. The fabric was tougher wearing at least. Even in her predicament, _and a post-apocalyptic world_ , she was going to damn well make sure she looked good. So for the next hour, Kiana sat patiently turning the skirt into a pair of trousers. The resulting trousers were slim fitting and practical; much better than a restricting pencil skirt. It was also comforting to have something that was more akin to her own time period. Even if that _was_ just a piece of clothing.

Kiana let out a small sigh of relief and scratched her head before realising her hair was beginning to get matted. Her eyes fell on the dresser where she spotted a beautiful ornate hairbrush. Even though she knew it had been used by the room's previous occupant - she _gladly_ brushed her hair with it. Her hair was quite long and it was probably more sensible to tie it up so she took a hair tie from the dresser and put her hair in a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror and for the first time since she got here, she felt quite good. The turtle neck, trousers, military boots and ponytail definitely made her feel more like Lara Croft to be honest. And it was quite empowering.

She was snapped from her thoughts as Richtofen burst in through the door without knocking.

 _"Goodness sake, Richtofen, do you no know how to knock?"_ Kiana cringed a bit at how gruff and Scottish she sounded as she said that.

 _"I zhought I heard jou vere up"_ , Richtofen replied calmly, completely disregarding her question.

 _"And how the hell would you know that?"_ Kiana raised an eyebrow.

 _"I had been shtanding outside zhe door for zhe past hour trying to listen for signs of life"_ , Richtofen explained.  
Kiana laughed but it was quickly gone before realising how creepy that was.

 _"You_ ** _do_** _realise you could've knocked..."_ , Kiana replied in disbelief at how someone so intelligent could overlook this. Richtofen narrowed his eyes.

 _"I see jou have obtained some..."_ , he paused as he looked her up and down before looking back at her face.

 _"...new clozhing."_ He was clearly bewildered as to how Kiana was no longer in the soldier's uniform she had been given. So she quietly gestured towards the wardrobe as Richtofen swivelled around to look.

 _"Ahhh, I shee!_ ** _Nozhing_** _from zhis time vas good enough for_ ** _jou_** _zhen? Do_ ** _all_** _vomen vear such_ ** _tight fitting_** _clothes in jour time?"_ He seemd horrified that frumpy wasn't still in fashion in 2020.

 _"You_ ** _do_** _realise fashion has changed since this time. Skirts got shorter and women even shave their legs now... as well as other places"_ , Kiana cringed before sighing at the thought of how women never had to go through these beauty rituals back then.

 _"Und vhat else vould zhey shave?!"_ Richtofen was genuinely puzzled by what Kiana meant. It was funny how even a psychopath like him had innocent moments. Kiana sat down on the bed.

 _"Look, Doctor, there are some topics I'm just not prepared to explain to you._ ** _It's just_** **_not right_** _"_ , Kiana cringed.

Richtofen cocked an eyebrow as his eyes fell on her legs, clearly curious about the strange behaviour of women from her time.

 _"Very vell zhen, zhe ozhers are vaiting in zhe courtyard. I have somezhing to announce to jou all"_ , Richtofen changed the subject.

 _"Right, let's go"_ , Kiana responded as she stood up.

Dempsey was leaning against a wall next to a burned out oil drum. Nikolai was slumped on the ground enjoying his vodka while Takeo sat calmly on a stumpy wall - he looked like he was meditating. Richtofen's boots crunched on the gravel signalling their arrival. The three men looked towards his direction as he made his way towards them - _Kiana trailing behind._ Dempsey stood upright before ushering Kiana to him.

Richtofen stood in front of everyone waiting to begin the announcement. Once all eyes were on him, he started speaking.

_"Jou vill all be avare zhat I have spent many days in mein office. Zhis has been for a good reason. I have been vorking on zhe equations required to calibrate zhe device jou see in zhe main forecourt._ **_Zhat_ ** _is zhe mainframe device; as I shaid before, zhe ozher devices jou have seen around zhe facility_ **_must_ ** _be connected to zhe mainframe. Zhey are teleporters vhich ve need to power in order to reach our next deshtination..."_

Richtofen continued to explain though his words were crammed with technical jargon which sent the men to sleep. Dempsey turned to look at Kiana before nudging her.

 _"Did he leave you alone for the night Was he being creepy?"_ He asked with genuine concern.

 _"I think he slept in his office so he was on the floor above me"_ , Kiana replied. Dempsey let out an audible sigh of relief.

Dempsey tuned back in to Richtofen's lecture before the mental fatigue quickly set in. Nikolai was more interested in his vodka bottle and even Takeo was struggling to keep listening. Kiana was the only one mentally keeping up with Richtofen, _which he noticed._ She _had_ been studying physics up to university level before finally becoming sick of it. _So much for becoming a Professor of Theoretical Physics._ Richtofen glared at everyone before pausing.

 _"Vell, I shee I am_ ** _boring_** _jou all to death"_ , Richtofen glared at the men before continuing:

 _"I vill take care of zhe vork calibrating zhe mainframe und jou lot can shimply activate zhe peripheral teleporters... all jou need to do is make it to the mainframe in time"_ , Richtofen laughed.

Everyone got up and decided which teleporter to each person was going to do. Takeo and Nikolai decided on working together whilst Kiana and Dempsey paired up. They all set off to begin their work before Richtofen spoke again.

 _"Kiana, I request zhat jou help me vith zhe mainframe"_ , Richtofen said in a low voice, gauging her subsequent response. Dempsey glared at him but he completely ignored this, still focussing on her. His gaze began to burn through her causing her to finally speak up. She looked visibly confused.

 _"What am I going to be useful for?"_ She asked in response.

 _"Jou vill shee"_ , Richtofen replied menacingly. He was absolutely terrifying when he went into this mood but Kiana relented and walked with him to the mainframe. Dempsey grabbed her wrist as she passed him by.

 _"If he does_ ** _anything_** _fucked up you holler and I'll come runnin' "_ , Dempsey said protectively. Kiana nodded which was far more reassuring for Dempsey. Richtofen clicked the heels of his boots impatiently waiting for Kiana to catch up.

He was quiet on the walk to the mainframe but Kiana could feel some sort of tension building. She was becoming frustrated that he wasn't just getting to the point so she finally spoke first.

 _"Oh for crying out loud, what do you want to say?"_ Kiana said. She was tired of his silly little games, as far as she was concerned, this _wasn't_ intimidating it was just ridiculous. Richtofen stopped walking. Within seconds, Kiana felt herself backed up against the wall next to the speed cola machine and Richtofen's piercing eyes mere inches from hers. He loomed over her menacingly. Kiana's initial look of terror turned into a frown as a sudden feeling of anger made her completely disregard the possible consequences of her next actions.

 _ **"Look, doc"**_ , she said condescendingly.

 _"You think you're_ ** _so_** _scary thrusting people against walls and pouting and glaring. Let's lay some_ ** _ground rules_** _now before this gets any more out of hand"_ , Kiana spoke low leaning into Richtofen's right ear. His eyes widened at the completely unexpected reaction he was getting from her. His thought process was interrupted by the click and something pressed against his manhood. Richtofen sucked in a breath.

 _"I'm getting_ ** _real_** _tired of this shit. If you have a question for me why not be a big boy and simply ask me?"_ Kiana said before pulling back again to look at him. Her eyes were burning with anger; Richtofen had never seen this side of her but he found the anger very appealing. He released his grip and moved away from her. Kiana holstered her pistol and stood up straight - _her eyes still fiery._

 _"Well?"_ She asked impatiently. Richtofen was completely entranced by what he was seeing that it left him in a daze. He couldn't believe someone was _actually_ taking to him like this; it had been so long since he got a reaction other than terror and subsequent pleading for life. He finally composed himself before speaking.

 _"Jou are withholding information from me"_ , he snarled.

 _"Jou sheemed completely unfazed by mein discussion on thermodynamics"_ , Richtofen said. Kiana let out a sigh.

 _"Was that it? I spent most if not all of my formal education as a physicist. I had the stupid idea of wanting to be a theoretical physicist since I was a child"_ , Kiana said. Her voice regretful.

 _"Und vhy did jou shtop?"_ Richtofen snapped.

 _"The university had the ridiculous idea of offering me my place on my degree by requesting I do a year studying third year physics... just to get into first year. Plus, they even had the_ ** _audacity_** _to ask me to do this at sixteen"_ , Kiana replied angrily; clearly still annoyed about it.

 _"Vhy on earth vould zhey do zhat?"_ Richtofen was clearly shocked.

 _"Oh, universities have changed in my time. They might've been more respectable in yours but they have no credibility. They just want people's money; which they have to spend years paying back after graduating. I was actually going to be stupid enough to do it before I had the sense to tell them where to shove their offer"_ , Kiana growled. Richtofen was quiet as he listened to what she said; clearly in deep thought.

 _"Und jou didn't take zhe request as a compliment on jour intellectual capabilities?"_ Richtofen replied smirking. Kiana raised an eyebrow.

 _"No, I wouldn't say it was -- I'd call it a fool's errand. Especially when Cambridge invited me down for three interviews the following month"_ , Kiana snapped.

Richtofen's eyed widened before his smirk grew bigger. He knew there was more to her and, _unfortunately for her_ , he liked what he was hearing.

 _"Cambridge University? Und vhat stopped jou studying with zhem?"_ Richtofen replied, his eyes were wild with intrigue.

 _"My health got so bad"_ , Kiana replied almost whispering. His manic look faded to surprise. He hadn't detected any signs of illness from her - _he was a doctor after all._

 _"I hide it well don't I? Did you not wonder why I wander off to be alone?"_ Kiana replied. Richtofen thought back to her arrival and suddenly he realised that she would suddenly wander off from the others as he watched her from his office.

 _"I can only hide it for so long so I suppose I'd have to tell you soon enough. I don't know what exactly it is but since I began my periods I've never been well. I just know my pain and symptoms are related to it"_ , Kiana said matter-of-fact, unfazed at discussing this with Richtofen. And then it became clear to him; she was speaking to him like a colleague rather than a patient- _like a doctor._ His eyes widened at hearing her speak like this, so candidly.

 _"Und vhy did jou not tell me? Jou know fine vell I am a doctor"_ , Richtofen was clearly annoyed that she hadn't sought his help.

 _"Because if the asshole doctors don't know in 2020 how could you?"_ Kiana cried frustratingly. Richtofen leaned in towards Kiana, his hand raised to her face. He just quietly looked into her eyes as she continued.

 _"They fuckin_ ** _blame me._** _Every. Single. One. When their shitty treatments don't work they always end up blaming me-- or anyone who isn't miraculously healed by their crappy methods. That's how patients are treated in my time"_ , Kiana said as her eyes began to tear up. Before Kiana realised, she was pressed against Richtofen's chest. Her face was buried into his jacket as she stared off into the distance- _her eyes shot wide open._

 _"What the heck is Richtofen doing? Was this_ ** _really_** _happening with him of all people?!"_ Kiana thought to herself. She dared not look at Richtofen - _she was too embarrassed._ He was silent as she heard his steady breaths before he took a deep breath.

 _"Do not underestimate vhat I am capable of vhen it comes to shcience"_ , Richtofen whispered into Kiana's hair.

He remained standing there with her pressed close to him. Kiana was in a complete daze trying to process what was happening. She finally closed her eyes in disbelief.

_They shared a small moment of serenity amongst the ruins._

_End of part seventeen..._


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Damsel Not In Distress

Dempsey walked towards the generator room - _deliberately taking his time._ He had decided to tackle the teleporter there first; and it allowed him to stay nearby Kiana if she needed him. His ears were constantly on alert for her in case she hollered. He'd come running and it _would_ give him the opportunity to punch Richtofen again. _Something he always enjoyed getting to do._

He always got angry whenever Richtofen made them do the lackey work - _he resented being ordered around by that kraut_. But the sun was shining at least and Dempsey knew Kiana wouldn't spend a second longer than necessary around the German. She'd be back to help him soon.

Still, he dragged his feet while mumbling to himself as he kicked large stones that peppered the path. Dempsey felt frustrated that he was powerless to keep Kiana away from Richtofen. He knew Richtofen was making excuses to keep her close by - but what could he _actually_ do about that?

 _"_ _ **Stupid Richtofen**_ _, he fuckin thinks he can just_ _ **order**_ _us around. He's such a creep around Kiana. I hope she's okay"_ , Dempsey thought dejectedly to himself. It was clear he felt inadequate that he couldn't _truly_ stand up to Richtofen. No one had any idea of the real extent of what was going on until they could get another meeting together with Kiana. _For now_ , they were just biding their time until the next destination. They wanted to see if her prediction would be correct. Then, they could plan how they were going to confront Richtofen.

 _"Once it's all properly explained we'll be able to put an end to this bullshit",_ Dempsey thought. Everyone felt hope that Kiana could help them escape their previously unavoidable fate. And it was that hope that _not only_ kept them going but also gave them something to look forward to. He wanted to make sure Richtofen's plans where cut short.

Dempsey walked into the building but instead of turning left to the generators he felt compelled to walk to the nearby mystery box first. The blue glow of the box called to him like a siren - _and he was powerless to resist a chance at getting the raygun._

 _"Fuck it, why not"_ , Dempsey said aloud as he spun the box. The box cycled through it's contents as he could hear muffled voices rumbling underneath the melody. Dempsey gingerly peered through the broken barrier which looked out towards the speed cola machine. He gasped as he saw Richtofen and Kiana in a heated conversation but he was too far away to make out any distinct words.

Suddenly, he watched Richtofen back Kiana up against the wall. But a small thought crept up which persuaded him to quietly continue watching. He stared at Richtofen's back as he tried to make out Kiana's face which was slightly obscured by Richtofen's shoulder. The gut feeling came to fruition as he watched Kiana's look of horror turn to pure anger as _even he_ felt the rage radiating from her. It definitely took Dempsey by surprise but he kept watching on tenterhooks as to how this was going to play out.

Kiana leaned forward to whisper something into Richtofen's ear before he stepped back. They then swivelled to the side still attached to each other. Dempsey could now see the look of horror Richtofen's face. Dempsey stifled a laugh as he found it hilarious to see the German so terrified of a small woman. Once Kiana began to back up away from Richtofen; it allowed Dempsey could see the cause of a Richtofen's look of terror.

She was pointing his own pistol at his manhood. Dempsey was caught between laughing but the thought of her _ever_ doing it to him wiped the smile that began to appear. Kiana was terrifying in this state but Dempsey still found this badass side attractive - _terrifying, but_ _attractive_ _nonetheless_. He just looked on in disbelief as he continued to watch the scene unfold.

The fire was quickly extinguished from her eyes as Richtofen backed off and they began talking again. This time, Dempsey could hear Kiana begin to raise her voice. Her face was strained with sadness and frustration but Richtofen just looked down at her in a trance.

Dempsey nervously eyed the two before his eyes widened in horror. Rage flowed through every fiber of his being as he watched Richtofen suddenly wrap his arms around Kiana. He never dreamt in a million years that Richtofen would've even had the balls to do that. But he knew Richtofen thought they were alone.

 _"What. The._ _ **FUCK**_ _?!"_ Dempsey growled through clenched teeth.

 _"I_ _ **told**_ _that sick fuck to_ _ **stay away**_ _from her and he gets her alone to do_ _ **this**_ _?!"_ Dempsey thought to himself. Suddenly, he remembered he'd spun the mystery box. So he went back to spin it again before running back to keep an eye on Kiana.

He was completely shocked as he watched Richtofen bury his face in Kiana's hair - _still in their embrace._ He then pulled away before quietly continuing to walk to the mainframe like nothing happened. Which only served to heightened Dempsey's horror and disbelief; which hit like a shockwave across his stomach. Dempsey remembered the mystery box and quickly ran over to inspect his prize. The raygun floated above the box waiting to be claimed: before being swallowed back in the box - _just before Dempsey could make it._

 _"_ _ **FUCK**_ _**OFF**_ _!"_ Dempsey shouted, not caring who heard. He ran to the generator room and initiated the link to the teleporter before turning on his heel and bolting to the mainframe. His boots kicked up dust and gravel as he made his way there - _the determination was plastered across his face._ As he turned the corner to make his way down the ramp and up the stairs to the mainframe; he eyed Richtofen and Kiana now making their way to it from the other side.

Before the last second, Dempsey made the link as the teleporter made a bleep of confirmation. He was out of breath as his chest was violently rising and falling. The sound of gravel crunching made his head snap around as he shot a feral glare towards Richtofen - who raised an eyebrow in confusion. Dempsey lunged at Richtofen before landing a fist to his jaw and knocking both men to the ground.

 _"I FUCKIN told you to_ _ **leave her alone**_ _, FREAK!"_ Dempsey growled. Dempsey pinned Richtofen down by the throat before his rage was quelled by a small hand on his shoulder. He turned around taking his eyes off Richtofen, who, took this chance to pull out his knife and hold it to Dempsey's throat. Kiana jumped back in horror as Dempsey slowly took his hand off Richtofen.

 _"Yes, zhat's right, monkey. Jou stupid ape, jou zhink jou are a_ _ **hero**_ _saving a damsel in distress"_ , Richtofen hissed.

 _"I don't_ _ **EVER**_ _want to see you hold her like that again, do you hear me, kraut?!"_ Dempsey growled. This caused Richtofen to laugh.

 _"I don't zhink jou are in a position to be giving me orders, American"_ , Richtofen snarled. Dempsey got up off Richtofen and both men got to their feet. Kiana kept back in case another fight broke out between the men as she cautiously eyed the situation.

 _"Come on Kiana, let's get away from this_ _ **freak**_ _"_ , Dempsey called to her. Richtofen also turned to look at her. Kiana watched as the two men eyed her expectantly as they appeared to wait for who's side she was going to choose. The way they were both fighting over her made her feel angry and frustrated as she visibly balled her fists.

 _"You both think you're going to fight it out for the chick, aye? The two alphas battling it out for dominance? We're nipping that in the bud"_ , Kiana growled at both men before storming off. Both men stood completely flabbergasted as they turned to look at each other; they both seemed to think they'd be the chosen successor. All they could do was watch her walk away as she left them to sort it out between them.

Kiana ran back to where she last saw Takeo and Nikolai. She wanted to seek out Takeo in particular as she felt like he was always the one she could confide in. She jogged back and looked around; thankfully, she spotted them ahead at the teleporter in the STG room. Kiana breathed a sigh of relief before walking over to them.

Richtofen and Dempsey were still standing in disbelief; neither of them could talk and instead opted for silence. Dempsey was the first to eventually break his trance as he turned to look at Richtofen in shock. He had no idea the German would've even gone to these lengths for a woman. Dempsey wasn't even sure he was straight until their conversation the other evening.

Dempsey was shaken from his thoughts as he now realised Richtofen was staring right at him with a frown. After a pause filled with very intense eye contact, Richtofen finally spoke first.

 _"Look Dempshey, she doesn't vant jou. Vhy can't jou just undershtand zhis?"_ Richtofen said matter-of-fact. Dempsey was completely speechless as all he could do in response was blink. He couldn't believe that Richtofen was _still_ trying to score points.

 _"You're sick doc, leave her alone"_ , Dempsey said calmly before walking off. Richtofen frowned to himself before heading over to the mainframe to work on the calibration.

_He didn't want to admit it, but he felt a pang in his stomach at Dempsey's parting words._

_End of part eighteen..._


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Proverbs

Kiana sat quietly that evening as she took comfort in Takeo's company. Neither said a word after she told him what happened. He only replied with a proverb: _"love and a cough cannot be hidden"_.

It made Kiana laugh but it also brought back memories of the time-period she had just left behind. A cough wasn't so innocuous anymore in 2020. She began to think of home as she prayed everyone was okay. As messed up as 2020 was she still wanted to go back - _and as_ _soon_ _as possible._

But she had work to do though; here was a valuable opportunity to save the four men that everyone back home had become so fond of. Suddenly, Kiana began to frown as she finally spoke up.

 _"Who were you referring to when you said that Takeo?"_ She enquired, causing Takeo to raise his head to look at her before saying:

 _"With many little strokes, a large tree is felled"_ , before returning to his meditation.

Kiana, enjoyed Takeo's proverbs. They always made her think but this time she was left deciphering who Takeo meant. _Was it Dempsey or... Richtofen?_ She was interruprted from her thoughts by a hiccup from Nikolai who had entered the room. Kiana looked up and gave him a nod, though, Takeo remained unaffected - _still_ _fully immersed in his meditation._

 _"Where is Dempsey?"_ Nikolai slurred.

 _"I don't know"_ , Kiana said quietly without making eye contact. By now it was nightfall and she was due to take watch duty with Dempsey, _though_ , she really couldn't face it tonight. And sadly she felt relieved Dempsey hadn't turned up for night watch.

 _"Meh"_ , Nikolai shrugged before sitting down by the fire. Takeo remained silent and serene; Kiana stirred and pulled her blanket tighter around her. The crackles and embers soothed Kiana's mind as she watched the fire. There was a gnawing in the pit of her stomach that had been slowly growing throughout the evening. Deep down, Kiana knew _exactly_ who Takeo was referring to. _No matter how hard she tried to play dumb._

But how could Richtofen have feelings for her!? _He_ _couldn't_ _have feelings for anyone._ Yet, the intensity that hung in the air between them suggested otherwise. His cold piercing eyes cut through her very being whenever she allowed herself to gaze into them. Kiana shivered slightly at the thought but it was enough to alert Takeo as he took notice. He opened one eye and turned to her.

 _"Another's feelings are not a reflection on_ _you"_ , he whispered. It was eerie how he could sense her every thought. _He could always tell when her mind_ _was_ _going a million miles._

 _"I know"_ , was all Kiana could muster. Her stomach convulsed at the thought of Richtofen wanting her in any capacity. Whenever she looked at him she thought about his victims; and she would never forgive him for his crimes. Not when the lights of so many lives were so cruelly snuffed out.

 _"He is not the man he once was and there is much darkness that clouds his mind. But_ _I_ _believe you_ _bring_ _out the human that still dwells_ _within"_ , Takeo interrupted my thoughts. He always managed to put things so beautifully - _no matter how dreadful they were._

 _"This is the only true way he will be stopped -- once his soul is cleansed"_ , Takeo added.

 _"That's quite a tall order Takeo"_ , Kiana replied. She was much more cautious and realistic about the possibility of that ever happening than Takeo. She didn't truly believe Richtofen could ever be talked out of it. He was so consumed by his thoughts that it seemed death would be his only way out.

Kiana felt a tear form in the corner of her eye. It hurt to think about it because she still cared about him. But men like him are ever so troubled and no woman - _however pure her intentions_ \- can change a man like that. Her mind was a turbulent sea of emotions where conflicted thoughts thrashed about for dominance. And the gnawing in her stomach quickly grew into a void which snaked it's way to trouble her heart.

Kiana banished the thoughts to the inner recesses of her mind before they could suffocate and set roots. She gazed into the dancing flames of the fire as ashes wisped amongst the smoke. Her mind became entranced by the performance; and after a few minutes, the hypnotic trance lulled her to sleep. Takeo got up and walked over to her. Nikolai frowned in confusion before asking Takeo what he was doing.

 _"Kiana has been given her own quarters by Richtofen"_ , Takeo replied before scooping her up in his arms and taking her to her room. Nikolai sat alone nursing his vodka bottles as he waited for Takeo to return.

Takeo traversed the sea of gravel as the cold night air whistled past his ears. The moon was particularly bright as it illuminated the grounds and drowned out the weak lights He breathed a grunt of determination as Kiana began to stir due to the cold. Takeo gently nudged open the doors to the building which lay silent except for the odd creak and groan.

After making his way up the stairwell and through the dilapidated corridor; Takeo opened the door to Kiana's room. He stepped inside and laid her down under the duvet. The light from the hallway shone in the darkened room. Suddenly, a large shadow snaked across the bed and Takeo looked around.

 _"She fell asleep, there was too much action today"_ , Takeo replied. The figure stayed silent.

 _"Love is like the wind, it cannot be seen but felt"_ , Takeo continued, breaking the figure's silence.

 _"How did jou know?"_ Richtofen whispered softly. Takeo bowed his head before remaining silent.

 _"I shee, it is zhat obvious"_ , Richtofen whispered.

Richtofen took one last look at Kiana before ushering Takeo to his office. Takeo quietly closed Kiana's door before the two men set off; both remaining silent as they climbed the stairs. Once they made it to his office, Richtofen opened the door and Takeo walked in to take a seat at his desk. Richtofen closed the door behind them and stalked over to his chair.

Takeo sat quietly waiting for Richtofen to speak but instead he unlocked one of the desk drawers and produced a strange device. Takeo was puzzled by it but even more puzzled by the ease in which Richtofen operated it.

 _"I found zhis device vhen ve found her. It vas laying in her hand vhich I took before she avoke. I have been learning about it each evening zhough it took me a few days to finally unlock zhe device"_ , Richtofen began. Takeo looked down at the device that Richtofen held in his hand as he took in everything being said.

 _"Zhey sheem to have zhese devices in her time, 2020._ _Zhis_ _is_ _vhat_ _zhey_ _use to communicate with one anozher"_ , Richtofen said before earning a wide eyed look of bewilderment from Takeo.

 _"How is this possible?!"_ Takeo said, clearly shaken by this.

 _"I am unsure right now, however, I have learned a lot about her time from zhis device. Zhough, I found somezhing_ ** _very_** _interesting"_ , Richtofen said before turning the screen towards Takeo. The device contained pictures of Richtofen and it caused Takeo to gasp with shock.

 _"So we really do exist in Kiana's time"_ , Takeo stated aloud. Richtofen removed his visor, placing it on the desk before massaging his temples.

 _"Nein, ve are merely a vork of fiction in her... universe"_ , Richtofen said. Takeo paused to process the information. He always relied on Richtofen to explain things.

 _"She is from a universe vhere ve do not necessarily exisht as physical people like ve do here. Ve are part of a story created by people in her universe"_ , Richtofen explained.

 _"Zhis is how she has zhese pictures of me. She seemed to be a... 'fan' of our... 'story' "_ , Richtofen said awkwardly.

Takeo remained silent, this was difficult for him to understand. He was not scientifically minded and he was surprised Richtofen had chosen to explain this to him.

 _"Zhere is more outshide of our universe, Takeo"_ , Richtofen exclaimed.

_End of part nineteen..._


	20. Chapter Twenty: Reflections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have left a little note at the end of this chapter as I wanted to put out a recommendation that might be useful ❤

Kiana awoke in her bed. She was surprised at first as to how she'd ended up in her bed but quickly realised it was likely Takeo's doing. He really did look out for her. Kiana got up and looked outside; but, strangely, no one was around _._ The dark winter mornings made it difficult to see much but she felt a pit in her stomach - _and a feeling of worry_.

She turned to look at the door and, for the first time, she actually wished Richtofen was behind it ready to burst through in his usual manner. She hastily got up and dressed before producimg a shearling peacoat from the wardrobe. As Kiana reached out to place her hand on the knob of the door; she felt the weight of dread on her shoulders.

She took a deep breath before quickly turning the knob and opening the door. Again, no one was there. The hallway was blacked out as not a single bulb was lit. Her heart began to beat faster as she quickly unholstered her pistol. She quietly closed the door behind her before making her way to Richtofen's office as it was nearest. As she traversed the dark musty hallway her heart rang through her ears. Gingerly opening the door to the stairwell, Kiana made her way up to the next level.

Once she reached the landing, she pressed her back against the wall and looked around to check the next hallway was clear. She knew she'd encounter zombies sooner or later but she prayed she wouldn't have to do it alone. The door let out a small creak as she made her way into the hallway.

 _Richtofen's office wasn't far,_ _Kiana_ _reminded herself._ She quietly made her way towards the door taking caution at any offices whose doors were open. Once she reached his door, she pressed an ear against it in a vain attempt hear if anything was on the other side. _Nothing_. Kiana took a deep breath as she readied her pistol and opened the door with the other hand. The room was empty.

The heavy atmosphere began to make her feel light-headed as her mind quickly jumped to rash conclusions of being completely alone or abandoned. She quickly regained her composure, entering the room and closing the door behind her. Surely something in the room would indicate what happened - _Richtofen rarely left the office._ Suddenly, a small figure caught her eye standing in the far corner. The gun clicked as Kiana took aim before advancing to investigate.

 _"Who's there?!"_ Kiana said sternly trying to hide any trace of nerves. The figure stood with it's back to her but the long matted black hair conveyed that it was a little girl. Kiana lowered her gun.

 _"Samantha, is that really you?"_ Her voice was morose at seeing the child like this.

 _"Jou learn quick"_ , a shrill female German accent escaped the figure. Slowly, Samantha turned around to face Kiana.

 _"Oh, Samantha. I'm so sorry about what happened to you"_ , Kiana cried tearfully.

 _"Und do jou know_ ** _who_** _did zhis?!"_ Samantha screeched before lunging at Kiana who swiftly dodged in time.

 _"_ ** _HE_** _DID THIS TO ME"_ , Samantha cried as her voice became deep and demonic.

 _"I know"_ , Kiana replied dejectedly as she sat down at the desk. Samantha stopped and cocked her head to the side. She clearly hadn't expected this kind of response. Samantha turned to Kiana who no longer assumed an offensive stance. The little girl slowly padded over to Kiana before leaning to whisper in her ear.

 _"I vant him_ ** _dead_** _"_ , Samantha growled lowly. Kiana put her head in her hands.

 _"I know, Samantha"_ , was all she could muster.

 _"He vants to taint jou. He is_ ** _sick_** _"_ , Samantha replied as if she was aware of Kiana's awkward relationship with him.

 _"I don't want him, Samantha. I know he's twisted. And I know some people can't be fixed"_ , Kiana said as her voice cracked at the latter. Samantha laid a hand on her shoulder.

 _"I have been vatching jou under I know jou are not from zhis vorld. I can help you get back to your own"_ , Samantha bargained.

 _"But you want me to kill him in return, right?"_ Kiana interrupted earning a smirk from Samantha.

 _"Ja"_ , she said. Samantha leaned down to whisper in Kiana's ear again.

 _"It's time to vake up now"_ , she whispered menacingly before everything went black.

Suddely, Kiana awoke back in her bed as a loud commotion could be heard out in the hallway. Then, there was frantic banging on the door which caused her to jump out the bed and ready her pistol.

 _"Verdammit, Kiana open zhis door. Right now!"_ She heard the muffled voice of Richtofen from the other side. Kiana ran to the door to quickly unlock it before being swept off her feet by a large arm.

 _"Zhey are here"_ , Richtofen finally said as he carried her quickly down the hall. Kiana looked up at Richtofen's face which was stern and full of determination.

 _"Who?"_ she quietly asked.

 _"Mein patients"_ , Richtofen replied, his voice was not excited like in the game - _it was full of worry._

Takeo and Nikolai were already out in the courtyard killing undead. Nikolai was happily sporting the FnFal as Takeo took down a train of undead with his HK21. When they saw Richtofen emerge they made their way towards him.

 _"The hellpigs are back!"_ Nikolai slurred waving his arms.

 _"It has been too long"_ , Takeo interjected.

 _"Ve must get to zhe mainframe"_ , Richtofen commanded. He finally set Kiana on her feet and ordered her to stay close to the group. She readied her pistol as they began to make their way there. As they began walking, a figure jumped down from the level above startling the group.

 _"Fuck yeah, I've missed killin' freak-sacks!"_ Dempsey exclaimed happily - _he was absolutely in his element._ Nikolai cheered drunkenly as Takeo shook his head. Richtofen ignored the American and pulled Kiana closer to him as he readied his MP40. Which earned a stern glare from Dempsey.

As they turned the corner, a horde of undead rushed towards them from both pathways. Nikolai and Takeo held off the right path whilst Richtofen and Dempsey carved a path to the left. Suddenly, a zombie's head exploded as Richtofen and Dempsey turned to look at eachother. Behind them, Kiana stood holding her pistol as residual smoke escaped the barrel.

 _"Fuck me"_ , Dempsey said.

 _"I'd razher not"_ , Richtofen interrupted before they went back to killing undead.

The group advanced with Takeo and Nikolai holding up the rear until they finally made it to the mainframe. Richtofen clipped his gun to his belt before making a beeline to the control panel.

 _"Hold zhem off vhilst I input zhe coordinates!"_ Richtofen shouted over the deafening screams of the horde. Nikolai and Takeo stood at the top of the steps as Kiana and Dempsey took out the undead who were climbing up the sides of the platform.

Suddenly, a flash of light came from the teleporter and the cogs of time wound down almost to a halt. Kiana stopped and looked around at the carnage. Nikolai's face contorted into a deadly grin after taking a sloppy slug of his vodka whilst he fired from the hip. Takeo maintained his ever stoic demeanour as he mowed down a horde by himself. Kiana turned to Dempsey who stood gripping his M16 with gritted teeth as he held up the left flank. And then, she was interrupted by a blinding blue light and the shrill cry of Richtofen.

 _"Magnificent!"_ Richtofen exclaimed.

She turned to him as the teleporter finally cooled down allowing the smoke and mist to dissipate. Her heart sank as a familiar face stepped forward. Richtofen was completely entranced as he was confronted with his younger, _alternative universe_ , self. Kiana watched his eyes light up just like they did in _"The Giant_ " intro - full of childlike bewilderment. But Kiana _knew_ how it would end.

Primis advanced towards Richtofen - _stalking silently and deadly._ Richtofen regained compusure before straightening to attention and removing his hat to hold to his chest. Kiana watched as Primis - _face awash with hate and disgust_ \- narrowed his eyes. _No, it would end_ _differently_ _this time, she thought._

 _"Stop!"_ She yelled at Primis.

He hadn't even clocked her. The young doctor took a step back clearly off guard as both men turned to look at her.

 _"Doctor, don't even bother. I know how this goes and it doesn't fix things"_ , she said matter-of-fact. Trying to be calm and confident.

Richtofen was looking slightly frustrated that Kiana had interrupted his moment, _though_ , unbeknownst to him she had just saved his life. Kiana ignored him and focused her attention on Primis who was standing with narrowed eyes as he sized her up.

 _"We can't hold them off-- what the_ ** _fuck_** _?!"_ Dempsey said. Clearly startled at the sight of two Richtofens.

And just like that, time regained it's normal pace. The zombies flooded toward them as Takeo and Nikolai retreated closer to the teleporter awaiting Richtofen's command to jump in. Dempsey grabbed Kiana as they made their way to the teleporter. She quickly reached out a hand to also grab Primis on her way past. They locked eyes as his initial unguarded look of surprise transformed into fierce determination. Richtofen snapped out of his trance and made the order to jump in. Everyone quickly crammed into the teleporter as the air around them began to flicker with electricity.

As the horde approached the teleporter; a bolt of electricity chained through them. Richtofen's wunderwaffe had ended up overloading the teleporter as Kiana expected. Everyone's eyes were suddenly flooded with light which frightened Kiana. She felt panicked by the overload of sights and sounds and instinctively grabbed the nearest person to her. She held into their arm for dear life not knowing who she was holding; but it was still comforting nonetheless.

_End of part twenty..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to add in a small note in case anyone finds my suggestion useful!
> 
> I have been completely engrossed in watching Sherlock Holmes again. This time, I decided to watch the series with Jeremy Brett as Sherlock. 
> 
> UK friends might be familiar with the series or at least you parents might have seen it since it aired 1984-1994 on ITV television in the UK. But, good news is that all the episodes are up in YouTube. I'll leave a link for the episode list if it lets me:
> 
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sherlock_Holmes_episodes
> 
> Everyone is familiar with the Benedict Cumberbatch series on BBC but I wanted to let everyone know about Jeremy Brett as he is by far the greatest Sherlock Holmes ever. Trust me, you'll understand when you see him! 😭❤ He's truly slept on and more people my age need to know about him 😭
> 
> I also wanted to share this with you because the way he moves around and his mannerisms in the series are absolutely identical to how I imagine Ultimis Richtofen to be. As I'm watching it, I feel like I'm looking at Richtofen. The manic eyes, how he jumps around dramatically... it's amazing how similar they are yet Holmes is on the other side of the law!
> 
> He also looks a bit like Richtofen and is absolutely mad like him (except for the murderous tendencies haha) so hopefully this little note is useful and gets someone into a really good show to enjoy ❤
> 
> See you all in chapter twenty-one, friends 😊❤


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: Redemption

The bright light began to fade allowing me a moment of confidence to crack open my eyes and adjust to the light. I could feel my whole body was still tensed up and rigid. The whole commotion had left me dishevelled and unkempt when I torn from my bed. My coat had been hastily thrown on and my hair left loose and no doubt _beyond_ windswept. 

The blinding white haze slowly dissipated before everything came into focus; I looked around and was greeted by the familiar lobby of Kino der Toten. _I had been vindicated._

I was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat which drew me from my thoughts. I confusedly looked around to see Richtofen looking at me sternly. My face set into a frown wondering as to why. He picked up on my confusion before he looked down - inviting me to follow with my gaze. To my horror, I realised I was still gripping my poor victim's arm. And my ignorance of _who_ exactly my victim was became clear as I recognised the male arm. I was instantly awash with embarrassment.

My fingers had sunk into the familiar rolled up sleeve of Primis Richtofen. I was completely shocked as I looked up to see his reaction. He was tall like Richtofen but I my face felt hot as I looked at him - _he was absolutely handsome._ The same piercing blue eyes glared down at me before a faint smile formed on his lips.

 _"I shee jou haven't travelled like zhis before?"_ He said smirking - _and almost a bit flirty._ I quickly relinquished my grip as he gave me another coy smile.

 _"Perhaps I can grab onto jou for dear life nexsht time"_ , he added playfully. The moment was swiftly interrupted by Richtofen who again purposely cleared his throat to get our attention. He was no longer marveled by his younger self as he glared at him before turning his back to us and mumbling to himself.

 _"Zhis is not zhe Moon?!"_ Richtofen grumbled. Upon this realisation, he quickly swung around to face us again.

"I _mean -- ahem! Ve are in Berlin in nineteen hundred und shixty-zhree... our intended destination, ja"_ , he announced with his usual over the top theatrics.

Dempsey, Takeo and Nikolai all looked over to me as they were shocked that I had been able to predict the next destination with such accuracy. And this gave more weight to my claims. I calmly looked back at Richtofen as to avoid arousing his suspicions.

 _"Zhe firsht_ _zhing_ _ve_ _must do is to secure zhe area. Take out any of_ _mein_ _patients who remain und ve shall discuss things furzher. Jou! Come vith me"_ , Richtofen ordered indicating to Primis. I grabbed Primis' wrist causing him to turn to look at me. I gave him a stern look before glancing at Richtofen and looking back at Primis. I wanted some confirmation that he wouldn't try to kill him again.

Primis narrowed his eyes at me defiantly but I was determined to stop him interfering with this timeline... _not when I had a chance to fix things this time._ I looked over at my three comrades who were confused as to why I was acting strangely. But the urgency in my eyes indicated that Primis wasn't to be trusted.

 _"You know what, Doctor? I'll tag along if that's okay"_ , I said to Richtofen. He narrowed his eyes and looked between me and Primis.

 _"I vould razher--"_ , he said before I abruptly cut him off.

 _"Ahh! Excellent let's go, shall we?"_ I said now walking away from Primis and towards Richtofen. He was clearly very annoyed but I was doing it to save his life. As I approached him, I gave him a stern look before flicking my eyes to indicate the German behind me. Richtofen's expression changed from annoyed to puzzled before I continued my stern glare to hammer in my seriousness.

Richtofen narrowed his eyes but no longer protested at my company. I walked close to him whilst Primis walked a distance behind. We left the lobby as the others waited behind and made our way to the alley.

 _"Look, he's trying to kill you",_ I said quietly. Richtofen looked at me in disbelief.

 _"He was going to shoot you in the face back in Der Riese"_ , I stated quickly.

 _"Und, vhy vould he do somezhing like zhat?"_ Richtofen sang condescendingly. I was running out of time and had to act fast as we were coming to the end of the alley and about to reach the stairs. I suddenly grabbed his arm before stopping.

 _"I don't feel so good, Doctor"_ , I said looking up at him as he stared down at me. I prayed he would play along. Primis had now stopped and eyed us suspiciously whilst keeping a safe distance. Richtofen glared at me before turning to Primis and exhaling a deep sigh.

 _"Zhe fräu has a health condition, Doctor. I am afraid I vill have to shee to her firsht. Mein men vill be more zhan happy to entertain jou until I'm finished"_ , Richtofen explained. There was silence before Primis finally replied.

 _"Very vell"_ , he murmured hefore turning back to the lobby. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Richtofen. We stayed in the act as he helped me up the stairs and out of Primis' sight.

 _"We need to talk about him"_ , I said anxiously. We were now in the utility room at the top of the stairs. Richtofen closed the door behind us and joined me as we sat on an overturned filing cabinet. Richtofen remained quiet as he waited for me to explain.

 _"You're the original Richtofen._ _ **The one**_ _that started all this. He is from another universe. Samantha contacted him to set things right. Because she knew he wasn't like you"_ , I stated matter-of-fact. Richtofen jerked back and blinked as if affronted.

 _"Und, vhat exactly makes_ _ **him**_ _different?"_ He demanded. I braced myself and breathed a heavy sigh.

 _"For one thing, he's considerably younger--"_ , I was cut off by Richtofen as he scoffed at my statement.

 _"Oh, ja. Jou sheemed to enjoy holding onto him for dear life."_ , he said with great irritationin his voice. I leaned back as I turned to face him in bewilderment before a smile appeared across my face.

 _"Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Doctor?"_ I smirked at him. This clearly annoyed him as he pursed his lips.

 _"Oh no, I just find it_ _ **intereshting**_ _zhat jou don't treat him like zhe unhinged psychopath jou shee me as"_ , he snarled. I tried to put a hand on his shoulder which he angrily shrugged off. He'd now positioned himself facing away from me and was frowning like a child. I placed my hands on my lap and looked down at the floor.

 _"It's because you both_ _ **are**_ _very different"_ , I declared. Richtofen turned around, mouth agape. Suddenly, his eyes burned with a fiery glare and he grabbed my shoulders.

 _"Vhat makes_ _ **him**_ _so different?!"_ Richtofen raised his voice as he looked into my eyes. I just looked at him. I thought about how menacing and angry he could be - _and how far gone he was._ I could feel tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. My heart panged with the fact I'd tried to ignore. _He was never going to change._

 _"He wants to change"_ , I said, almost whispering.

 _"He seeks redemption"_ , I managed to say a little louder. The raging fire of Richtofen's temper was now extinguished from his eyes and he softened his grip. He turned away again as he hid his face from me.

 _"So vhy didn't jou just let him kill me zhen?"_ He enquired, his voice now a soft whisper. My heart ached.

 _"I couldn't let it happen again. I couldn't bear to let that happen to you. No, not when I could stop it this time"_ , I said with a sigh.

 _"And it wouldn't have changed anything anyway"_ , I added.

Richtofen looked around gauging my expression before his face softened. I felt a tear run down my face which I tried to wipe before he noticed. He now turned himself to face me completely; which caused me to look down in a vain attempt to hide my moment of weakness.

I felt a hand under my chin as he raised my face to look at him.

 _"I vant jou to look at me, bitte"_ , he whispered softly. I complied. His piercing blue eyes were now softened and solem. I felt uneasy about what he was going to do next. His eyes fell from my eyes to my lips and I felt a jolt of panic.

 _"Jou know more zhan jou have told me, ja?"_ His voice barely a whisper.

 _"Oh great, you're going to kill me now?"_ I said sarcastically trying to lighten the mood. Richtofen smiled gently.

 _"Nein, I could not"_ , he said softly.

 _"Not anymore"_ , he added - which earned a look of surprise from me.

 _"But I cannot allow jou to shtop me eizher"_ , he added. The pit in my stomach grew into a crater. My eyes widened as I looked up at him.

He removed a glove as he reached a hand toward me which caused me to flinch. I felt his fingers snake through my hair as I opened my eyes to see him looking at me - _h_ _e_ _looked completely enchanted._ I looked up in shock at the gentleness of his demeanour. It was frightening because I no longer knew _what_ he was capable of anymore.

Suddenly, we were interrupted by the shrill cries of the undead. We both jumped up and looked outside as we watched the hordes descend upon the theatre. Many were now gathering at barriers around the alley and the sound of wood snapping nearby drew our attention. The barries in the room had already begun to be torn down by the undead.

I looked at Richtofen who grabbed me as he headed to the door that led to the stage. We made our way down the stairs to where we saw the others as they made their way to us from the lobby. Richtofen unclipped his MP40 and took aim before he opened fire on the horde that was approaching from the dressing room.

Dempsey valiantly made his way to me as he cleared the undead in his path. As he approached, he looked at me with a look of horror.

 _"How the fuck are there_ _ **two**_ _of them now?! Ain't one bad enough?"_ Dempsey spat in disbelief. I put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him before saying.

 _"It's part of the storyline. And you'll be glad to know that there's another one of you running around too. The same goes for Takeo and Nikolai"_ I explained.

Poor Dempsey, he looked so lost and horrified as he tried to take in the ever worsening news. But we had to focus on staying alive for now.

_End of part twenty-one..._


	22. Update

Hi friends xxx

I've been in bed all day with a horrendous migraine. I don't want to throw out the next chapter so I wanted to let you know I'll post tomorrow instead... hopefully I'll be feeling human again 😔

Sorry for the delay xxx


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two: Bargaining For Life

I gave Dempsey a sympathetic nod and unholstered my pistol to ready the gun. We had all now met up on the stage as the rest followed close behind him. Lastly, Primis sauntered up the steps and began glaring at me; he narrowed his eyes but remained silent. I rolled my eyes and glared back as Richtofen eyed the spectacle with suspicion. He turned to look down at the floor as if in deep thought before quickly rising to give the group's orders.

 _"Ve must clear zhem out und secure zhe building"_ , Richtofen commanded. We all looked at eachother and arranged ourselves into groups before setting out. I stuck with Dempsey as we made our way toward the dressing room. As we made our advance, we were met with hordes of undead spilling in through the barriers on both sides. Upon seeing them Dempsey gave out a large gravelly laugh before readying his M16 and blasting his way through.

I secured the rear and picked off any undead that strayed our way. As I looked back out toward the stage and the seats; I turned to see Nikolai and Takeo who were keeping a tight leash on Primis. I felt relieved that he was being kept away from Richtofen for the time being. The man in question had already gone off and taken on a horde of his own. _The manicial laughter was fairly evident._

As the sound of Dempsey's gunfire came to a halt; I turned to back to see hordes of the undead now spewing forth from the dressing room. It was absolutely packed so I relied on Dempsey to take most of them out. I stayed back and picked off any that survived Dempsey's barrage of bullets. As I stood beside the marine I saw his eyes were completely lit up as he sported his signature cocky grin.

His eyes sparkled as they reflected the flashes of gunfire from his M16. _It was terrifyingly enchanting._ I came to and checked on Nikolai and Takeo who were still over at the stage with Primis. All three men were so consumed with the matter at hand that they had overlooked the mystery box nearby.

I smiled to myself and decided I was determined to try and at least make up some points this time - _I really wanted a shot at the mystery box._ So I made sure to get as many bullets in instead of headshots without depleting my magazine too much. Dempsey would've covered me if we fell back for ammo anyways. _But I did_ _wonder if the power ups were going to show up; a max ammo_ _would've_ _been helpful about now_ _!_

 _"We make a real good team!"_ Dempsey cheered as he winked at me. I was torn from my plans as we advanced further into the dressing room. Instinctively, I felt compelled to take one last look behind me as I watched Richtofen lead a large train up onto the stage - _clearly in his element._ As he passed the dressing room we locked eyes; his gaze which fell on me was unbreakable.

The sounds of carnage fell silent as everything around us was omitted - _it was just us in that moment._ Richtofen no longer looked the same -- not after our conversation. His eyes were now solem as I watched the murderous intent drain from his face. The massive horde that was gaining on him wasn't even enough to rouse his enthusiasm.

In my daze, I felt Dempsey's hand on my shoulder as Richtofen dragged his eyes away from mine. The room resumed it's cacophony of noise and anarchy as I quickly followed him to the dressing room. We fought our way through the remaining stragglers and made it through to the next room with the speed cola machine.

I held up the rear as Dempsey ploughed through the undead that trunged their way to us. We finally cleared the room before slowly making our way up the stairs where the paintings hung on the wall. After the sound of rapid gunfire and many an " _oorah_ ", the room fell silent. The coast was clear so we stopped to catch our breath and gaze up at the portraits.

 _"Um,_ _ **why**_ _the fuck are there paintings of us? And_ _ **who's**_ _that supposed to be in the one on the end?"_ Dempsey queried with disgust. I looked upon all the men's faces as I stopped on Richtofen's. _I knew something had changed between us_ _._ But I also knew he was still determined to carry out his grand scheme. I looked at the painting on the left and turned to Dempsey.

 _"Do you know a... Pablo Marinus?"_ I asked gingerly before Dempsey's eyes widened.

 _"Yeah, I knew him... I think. My memory is too fuzzy though to remember exactly where"_ , Dempsey replied honestly.

We heard noise coming up the lobby stairs and into the room next door. We crouched low with our guns ready as we waited to see who - _or what_ \- it was. Takeo was the first to come through the door as the other two men followed. We both let out a sigh of relief as we holstered our weapons.

 _"That is the last of them"_ , Takeo stated. Dempsey and I walked over to them as we all regrouped before heading back to the stage. As I walked to follow the others, I felt a hand yank me over to the left hand corridor which came to an abrupt end. I was flung against the wall with my wrists held down by one large hand above my head.

My eyes locked with the familiar pair of pale blue ones - _but they were Primis'._

 _"_ ** _Vhy_** _did jou shtop me?!"_ He growled angrily in my face. He was so handsome even when he was practically shouting in my face.

 _"_ ** _Well_** _, if you stop manhandling me I'll explain"_ , I said sternly as I glared into his eyes. His face lit up a little before he resumed his frown.

 _"I vill '_ ** _manhandle_** _' jou as I_ ** _vish_** _!"_ He snapped as he leaned towards my face. I shook my head before he finally moved back whilst still restraining me.

 _"Look, I know all about you, Doctor. I know that you're trying to make things right. But I also know that what you were intending to do doesn't fix things"_ , I began to explain. He frowned as he waited for me to continue.

 _"I'm not from this world -_ _ **or universe.**_ _I'm from the year 2020, in a universe where none of you exist as real people. The others will explain because I've only just managed to prove it to them"_ , I continued. Primis narrowed his eyes at me before his lips parted to speak.

 _"Und just_ _ **how**_ _do jou exshpect me to believe such_ _ **nonsense**_ _?! I vill not be able to believe jou unless jou can prove zhis"_ , he replied in disbelief.

 _"Well, I knew what your intentions were back in Der Riese"_ , I snapped.

 _"Did Samanzha bring jou here?"_ He enquired eagerly cutting me off. I shrugged as I wasn't sure who's doing it really was.

 _"But she does want me to kill him"_ , I replied as I began to explain what she told me in the dream. Primis was cold and calculating just like Richtofen but I felt less danger around him.

 _"Und jou had zhe_ ** _audacity_** _to shtop me vhen jou knew zhis?! Vhy haven't_ ** _jou_** _done it yet?"_ He questioned impatiently. I remained silent. I was unsure what to say to that to be honest. So I quickly changed the subject.

 _"Look, I need you to promise that you won't try it again. This isn't the way to fix things"_ , I bargained. Primis narrowed his eyes before there was a long pause and our eyes locked in a duel. I held my ground and conveyed my resolve before he finally relented and agreed. This time, I could see he meant it.

He finally released my wrists as my arms fell down by my sides. He pulled away, retreating out of my personal space before looking at me sternly. I just stared back, he was such an attractive man - _and little did he know just how much I love German men._ He was as tall as Richtofen but much more muscular and youthful. His face was still worn for his age which displayed to the world all the burdens he'd been carrying for so long.

 _"Vell zhen? Vhat is zhe plan?"_ Primis interrupted my thoughts. I came to and shook off the daze I had been in. I gathered myself before responding to his question.

 _"Well, I'm trying to find the right time to gather the guys without arousing Richtofen's suspicions. We're just waiting for him to shut himself in his office and then I can explain everything I know. You've turned up at the right time at least"_ , I joked at the latter. Trying to lighten the heavy mood. Primis was always so serious - _much unlike Richtofen._

 _"Very vell, ve should catch up with zhem before zhey shtart looking for us"_ , he stated as he suddenly turned to walk to the stage. Before I could even register his reply he was already making his way to the lobby stairs. I picked up the pace trying to catch up with his large strides. Takeo, Nikolai and Dempsey were all waiting for me at the bottom as they sized up Primis. He had first been met with the deadly glare of Takeo who had sensed the need to wait for us.

When I made my way down the stairs towards the men; Dempsey gave me a concerned look enquiring if I was okay. I nodded calmly to alleviate his concerns before nodding to Takeo. Nikolai crouched down at the top of the stairs which lead to the stage before signalling to us.

 _"_ _Uh-_ _we must_ _hurry"_ , he drunkenly slurred. We all made haste down to the stage where we were met with a very impatient Richtofen who had been eyeing us from the stage. He held the wunderwaffe in one hand whilst the other hand rested on his hip. I tried to remain stoic as I approached him but, _to my surprise,_ he completely ignored me.

His eyes were much too fixed on Primis as both men glared at eachother with pure disgust and loathing.

_End of part twenty-two..._


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three: Shared Memories

We all stood watching the tension rise between the two men. There was an unseen current which electrified the air and kept us all on edge. Primis stood his ground as Richtofen threateningly hovered a gloved finger over the trigger of the wunderwaffe. _The_ _leather_ _whined under the tension._

Then, the air was suddenly cleansed of malice and Richtofen lowered his gun before turning to the rest of us. He pouted a little and furrowed his brow before he became animated and upbeat. He jolted to attention and marched to the edge of the stage to begin his announcement.

 _"Vell! I shall now begin. Ve must continue to keep zhe building secure vhilst I find a vay to get us back on track"_ , he joyfully explained.

 _"Vhilst jou vere all cleaning up mein patients I sought out an office to conduct_ _mein_ _research. If any of_ _jou_ _dishturb me_ _I_ _vill_ _cut out jour shpleen_ _und_ _feed it to_ _jou_ _"_ , he sang with a disturbing grin.

 _"Until zhen jou are_ ** _all_** _on vatch duty"_ , he snapped before glaring at Primis and I and stomping off. Primis smirked to himself but I made sure to hide that I noticed as I tried to make sense of Richtofen's behaviour. Dempsey shook his head and mumbled an insult towards Richtofen before we all gathered together to decide how to divide the work.

We ended up spending the rest of the day clearing bodies and securing the rest of the building. Takeo and Nikolai secured and cleared out the second floor whilst Dempsey and I kept an eye on Primis who was now eyeing the teleporter on the stage. We finished carrying the last body out the main entrance and went to wash up.

I headed to the ladies room to clean myself up whilst Dempsey went to the men's room. The door swung open and I immediately went to the sink. The cold water rushed through the pipes and into the basin as I scrubbed off the dried blood which snaked it's way up my forearms.

Once I had gotten most of it off I turned off the faucet; I looked up at my reflection in the cracked mirror in front of me and gasped. I was shocked as I looked almost unrecognisable. My face was grimey despite my best efforts and my dishevelled blonde hair that fell past my shoulders was becoming increasingly matted and tainted by my darker roots.

I narrowed my eyes and looked into the mirror more closely as I could make out a print from a boot on the off-white tiled floor behind me. _But I knew it wasn't mine -_ it was far too big. I began to feel eyes on me and immediately suspected it was Richtofen. He had been locked away in that office all day and hadn't shown his face. I had suspected he'd pay me another visit sooner or later but I was tired and didn't want to deal with him right now.

So I decided to conceal my discovery by playing it cool and finished drying off. I adjusted my hair and turned to leave expecting him to make his usual sudden appearance. But no one intercepted me and I was able to successfully make it to the door. No angry German trying to make me jump or grab me.

And strangely, I felt more creeped out by _this_ behaviour. I deduced that he really must've thought he was hidden this time and was intentionally not wanting me to know he was there. _I shuddered at the thought._

I made my way out into the hallway to find Dempsey leaning against the wall nearby waiting for me. He'd walked up to where he could still keep an eye on Primis who was examining the teleporter with childlike curiosity. I laughed as I walked up and looked at him.

 _"Aww, look at him. He's all taken on by it"_ , I chuckled. Dempsey let out a smile and nodded in agreement.

 _"He's like a big kid. Wanna go see to dinner with me? It'll be like I'm takin' you out to dinner"_ , Dempsey cooed. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

 _"It's always very romantic when I'm the one who's having to cook it_ _!"_ I jested before we walked over to Primis. As we approached, he snapped around to look at us before glaring at me.

 _"Vhat do jou vant?"_ He said raising an eyebrow.

 _"Well, it's time for dinner and I'm head chef these days. I was going to start cooking but I'd like to make sure you've got a suitable babysitter considering I still don't fully trust you"_ , I said jokingly though I still meant the latter. I then looked around at Dempsey who initially eyed me with confusion before the look of shock conveyed that he clearly wasn't happy with his nomination.

 _"But! We were gonna make dinner!"_ He protested before I convinced him of his duties. I left the two men and headed to the canteen, the theatre was a 935 facility after all so it would just be like Der Riese. _And this time_ , I was going to make sure I got use of the showers. _I desperately needed one by now._

After getting lost, I finally made it to the canteen and began picking up tins like before. I had a rough idea of what German words to look for by now which made things easier. After I secured suitable pots and pans and emptied the contents of the tins into them; I took a seat and listened to the everything simmer and bubble away. Takeo entered the room whilst Nikolai followed his nose close behind. I welcomed them in as Takeo took a seat and Nikolai went over to watch the pots like an impatient child.

 _"We need to talk"_ , Takeo said, his voice was serious. I cocked my head to one side in confusion.

 _"Do you know where Richtofen has been? He is not in his office"_ , Takeo asked. I didn't tell him that I thought the creepy bastard had followed me into the ladies room so I shrugged and replied that I didn't know.

 _"Where ever you go, he is always close behind"_ , Takeo stated. I rolled my eyes.

 _"Gee, Takeo. That's a lovely thought. Not creepy in the slightest!"_ I remarked. Takeo looked at the floor as if he was having an inner conflict with himself. I stood up and put a hand on his shoulder to try and reassure him that he could tell me whatever it was. But to my surprise, he shook the thought away and changed the subject.

 _"I think you should check those pots"_ , he said as Nikolai was now anxiously trying to get our attention whilst pointing at the pot whose water was spilling over. I ran over and saw to it before turning off the heat and taking the pot off the hob. After a few minutes, I had emptied the pots and plated up the food.

Takeo and Nikolai helped me carry the food to the others who had made a base on the stage. As we got closer, I felt a pang at the thought of having to give Richtofen his food again. Thankfully, Takeo volunteered this time and I was immediately awash with relief.

Dempsey and Primis had moved multiple sofas onto the stage for us to sleep on for the night. They'd surrounded the fire with them and it looked so cozy despite the dilapidated surroundings. I was handed a blanket which I put around my shoulders before tucking into my food.

The evening passed without an appearance from Richtofen and I knew by then that he was avoiding me - _or at least watching me from afar instead of making his presence known._ He hadn't answered the door to Takeo who had decided to just leave the tray at the door. To because honest, I felt much better not seeing him; I could begin to let my guard down for once.

Primis was also beginning to relax around us as we tried to make him feel welcome amongst comrades. I looked over at him as he listened to Takeo speak; he was very attractive with Richtofen's angular face and quintessential Germanic features. He looked youthful but also old enough to be a fairly established academic. _Oh, how I love intellectual men._ He sat nearby me and, as the night went on, I kept catching him looking over at me. Thankfully I felt relieved in the knowledge that I knew he wouldn't have the guts to try and make a move on me - _or so I thought._

I collected everyone's plates to return to the canteen before Primis insisted on volunteering to help me take them over. I suspected he wanted to talk privately - _even if Richtofen was skulking around the place to eavesdrop._ The cutlery gently rattled on the plates with each step as we made our way there. Primis was remarkably silent on the way there which surprised me but I remained silent too. Once we arrived, I left the plates in the sink as I decided to see to them in the morning.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and instinctively turned around. Primis was standing in front of me looking down at me through Richtofen's blue eyes. I stayed silent in confusion before he finally spoke.

 _"Jou sheem so familiar, I feel like I know jou"_ , he said softly. I was completely taken aback at his tone, his voice was deep and sonorous and it was very strange.

 _"Uh, maybe you share thoughts with the other Richtofen. Like a hive mind or something? Maybe because he knows me that those thoughts carried over to you?"_ I mused as I thought over my hypothesis. It had been mentioned in the game after all so it wasn't anything new. But his gaze was still growing in intensity and I was trapped between him and the sink behind me. I did find him extremely attractive but I really didn't want to encourage him.

 _"Yup, you're being inundated with all that knowledge from your other self. It'll take a while before it fully sinks in so maybe get some sleep--"_ , I tried to barter for my freedom before being cut off.

 _"Und_ _ **vhy**_ _can't jou fill zhe gaps in for me now?"_ He growled lowly, but this growl wasn't menacing like Richtofen's. I reiterated that it was time to sleep and I'd do it in the morning if his memories didn't come through.

But the doctor protested that I stay as he took a seat and urged me to do the same. So I relented and quickly gave him a rundown of what had happened back in Der Riese.

_End of part twenty-three..._


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four: Two Sides Of The Same Coin

Primis leaned forward in his chair as he listened intently to every word I said. To my surprise, he even managed to finish some of my sentences like he really _was_ there. Once he was all caught up, I breathed a small sigh before getting up. Primis slowly sat back in his chair and smirked with a small grin.

 _"Jou_ _ **do**_ _know mein ozher self is attracted to jou"_ , he stated. I had gotten up to get a glass of water after all that talking and had been in the process of taking a drink when he said it. My eyes widened as the water caught in my throat which subsequently caused me to end up spraying it back out over the tiled sink. With some effort, I turned to him and put a thumb up when he asked if I was alright.

 _"Zhis must be_ _ **vhy**_ _I am feeling zhe same attraction... aside from the fact I'd feel it regardless_ ", he grinned at the latter. Honestly, that would've been so exciting to hear if it didn't have the implications for Richtofen attached to it. And the thought of him washed away any butterflies Primis' statement game me.

 _"Ve_ ** _could_** _use zhis to our advantage!"_ He exclaimed as he suddenly sat forward again. I knew where this was leading so I turned around and stopped him there.

 _"Nope, just nope. I_ _ **don't**_ _like where this is going so we're going to call it a night now"_ , I said before turning to leave.

 _"It may just shtop him from carrying out his grand scheme,_ _ **jou know**_ _. Und I know how much it vould hurt jou to shee how he ends up if he's shuccessful"_ , Primis added.

I stopped in my tracks and felt the same pit in my stomach. _His_ _words_ _reverberated through my_ _very_ _being._

 _"And do you want to know how that ends up for_ _ **you**_ _and_ _ **your**_ _boys?"_ I asked sharply. I turned to face Primis who now looked uncomfortable at my subsequent respone. I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

 _"Hmph, I thought so. It's not just his life I care about"_ , I said before leaving through the canteen door and heading for the stage. Primis just sat there clearly disturbed by the thought as I left him alone to ponder it.

After a few minutes, I had finally made my way through to the dressing room before I heard a faint sound and stopped. I looked around behind me but no one was there. I felt a shiver run up my spine before I composed myself and held my ground. I knew it _had_ to be Richtofen and I felt myself becoming increasingly annoyed at his childish behaviour.

 _"Look, Doc. Can you stop skulking around for one minute and just come out the shadows? It's downright creepy. I'm small, tired and grumpy right now"_ , I called out firmly. I waited a few minutes before realising no one was going to emerge; so I let out a sigh and slumped my shoulders.

 _"Suit yourself"_ , I called out into the night before resuming my journey to the stage. I managed to make it over to the sofas without incident and chose one of the last two unoccupied ones and laid down. Everyone was asleep and I looked forward to doing the same; I wrapped myself up in my blanket and cosied in for the night. My muscles ached with fatigue from the day's work as I tried to find a comfortable position. I'd longed for this well deserved rest and within a few seconds I was fast asleep. But sadly, my sleep was to be disturbed by another visitor.

I suddenly sat up with my heart beating in my chest. Once my brain had woken up a little, I made sense of my surroundings. My body was tight and restricted with anxiety as I tried to move to look around. The other sofas were no longer occupied with my comrades and there wasn't a soul around. My ears pricked up as I heard in the distance the laughter of a young child behind me. Then, _as if by_ _her_ _doing_ , I was released from the anxiety which shackled my body and held me on the sofa.

I swung my legs around and braced myself for Samantha's visit. Her laughter echoed as it beckoned me back to the dressing room. Reluctantly, I complied and put on my boots. I cautiously made my way over as I kept my hand over my holstered pistol. Once I'd passed the threshold, I came to the corner as slowly peered around it. Samantha stood with her back to me as if in a daze. Her black matted hair straggled down her shoulders as she wore a long dirty white nightdress with bare feet. _She looked absolutely demonic._

 _"What is it now?"_ Called out to her after a big sigh.

 _"Jou have_ _ **not**_ _killed Teddy, I see"_ , she replied curtly without turning around.

 _"_ _ **Und**_ _jou did not_ _ **allow**_ _his ozher self to kill him"_ , she added angrily. I let out another sigh and softened my defensive stance.

 _"Look, it wouldn't have changed things. You know fine well what everyone's ultimate fate is, surely you've seen it in the aether"_ , I tried to explain.

 _"Ja, und I vas_ _ **fine**_ _vith how it vent for_ _ **me**_ _"_ , she shrieked as she swung around to glare at me.

 _"Yeah, well I'm not okay with the others dying"_ , I replied calmly as I ignored her display of aggression. She tilted her head before padding over to me in her bare feet - _seemingly_ _unphased by the broken glass and debris that littered the floor._ She came closer and closer to me until she was now standing in front of me. She stood quietly and menacingly before looking up at me. The smile she had on her face was revealed as her unkempt hair fell to each side and revealed the lower half of her face.

 _"Oh ja, jou couldn't bear to shee vhat became of poor Teddy"_ , she jibed.

 _"I care about them all and that obviously includes Richtofen"_ , I said unaffected as I ignored her obvious jibe. _I wasn't going to equal my wits to a child._

 _"Jou like him,_ _ **don't**_ _jou?! Jour not even pursuing his ozher self..."_ She scoffed as a smirk grew - _revealing rows of pointed teeth._

 _"Look, do you have any idea why I've been sent here? Surely you know something. Was it you that brought me here?"_ I queried trying to change the subject. If I was going to be dragged into these nightmarish meetings with Samantha - _I, at least, wanted to get something out of_ _it_ _._

Her smirk fell apart before being replaced with pursed lips. She was clearly annoyed that I was not engaging her in her discussion of Richtofen.

 _"Nein, I did not bring jou here... I zhought however jou vould_ _ **at least**_ _have proven useful in killing Teddy. But it appears I vas_ _ **WRONG!**_ _"_ she screamed as she let out an ear-piercing shriek. I clutched my ears as I watched her convulse and morph into a demonic entity. My heart raced and the adrenaline pumped through my veins causing me to stumble back and try to run.

With each movement, I felt as though my body was trapped in quicksand. The floor became fluid as my feet sunk slowly into it. Numerous hands began to reach up through the floor as they pulled me down despite my attempts to fight them off. I was becoming increasingly overwhelmed as I tried without success to move any of my limbs. Samantha stalked closer and closer as her form glitched in and out of reality before she lunged at me.

I suddenly awoke in a pool of sweat as the adrenaline forced me to jump up. My breathing was quick and shallow as my hands shook. Primis was nearest to me so the commotion woke him up. He rushed over to me to calm me down and settle me back onto the sofa. He held his arm around me as I tried to control my breathing back to normal levels. After a few minutes, the adrenaline drained from my body and I was able to speak.

 _"It was Samantha"_ , I whispered before earning a serious look from Primis. The others were still fast asleep as Dempsey was loudly snoring away. Primis held me close as we sat there quietly before I felt calm enough to tell him what happened. I shakily recounted my meeting with Samantha before slumping back into the sofa.

 _"I shee"_ , Primis said quietly.

 _"I can't kill him. I can't bring myself to kill_ ** _anyone_** _let alone him"_ , I cried. Primis rested his chin on my head and it reminded me of my encounter with Richtofen. It was small moments like that where his human side would reveal itself; tender gestures which most of the time collided with the words that left his mouth. But Primis more readily showed his gentler side - _his_ _humanity_ _hadn't_ _completely left him._ My thoughts were interrupted by Primis.

 _"Ve vill find anozher vay... As strong as mein contempt for him is I vill keep mein vord, Kiana"_ Primis said softly as I lay against his chest. I was completely drained from the rush of adrenaline and I could feel myself beginning to drift off as I lay listening to his heart beat.

_Did Richtofen's beat like that too?_

_End of part twenty-four..._


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five: The Pathologist

The building creaked and groaned in the still night. The room was aglow with the lantern that sat on Richtofen's desk. Various tomes lay strewn about it's surface with scattered pages of notes throughout. The Doctor sat behind the chaos but was clearly unphased by the madness- _he was completely in his element_. His visor and gloves sat neatly next to him on a solitary portion of the desk that remained free of the encroaching chaos. On his chair, his jacket lay slung across the back of it.

The voices were especially cruel tonight; despite his valiant efforts to carry out their demands. He had spent days pouring through every piece of knowledge this facility had to offer. Yet, he was no closer to finding his next destination. And with the commotion in Der Riese he had also dropped his diary - _which he cursed profusely._

 _"Verdammt!"_ Richtofen spat. The window nearby allowed the wind to whistle loudly into the room. As he cried out, a sudden gust picked up causing him to instinctively get up to close the window. As it thudded shut, one of the voices spoke up.

 _"_ ** _She_** _is distracting you, Edward. By now you would've solved this... or maybe you are stalling? We cannot accept hesitation. Your ascension awaits, Doctor! Do not waste this opportunity"_ , it hissed. Another voice came forward.

 _"It is_ _**ALL** _ _your fault! You don't deserve to ascend. You are_ _**STUPID** _ _and_ **_INCOMPETENT_ ** _!" The second voice screamed._

 _ **"Shut up!"**_ Richtofen yelled aloud. He clutched his head as it filled with a sea of voices. The noise was suffocating and he was nearing his limit as he slumped down the wall and onto the floor.

 _"You need to get rid of her"_ , a calm quiet voice spoke which caused the others to halt in silence.

 _"Yes, she_ ** _is_** _interfering. She wants to_ ** _convince_** _you to stop. But why not have_ ** _both_** _? Use her and then_ ** _discard_** _her; she will persist in your thoughts otherwise. You are above such primitive urges - do not let it cloud that brilliant mind of yours!"_ The voice insisted as it took a different approach to convincing the doctor.

 _"N- no --_ ** _NEIN_** _! To vhat do depths vill jou all drag me down to?!"_ He exclaimed in disbelief. He was a man of unscrupulous morals but _even he_ had his limits. Though, he would be lying if he said he hadn't at least felt a morsel of temptation. He often thought about what it would be like - _to have her._

 _"The diary was taken by the Soviets, you must go to there and retrieve it"_ , a quiet voice whispered. Richtofen had buried his head in his arms before slowly looking up and around the room in surprise. _Was it helping him?_

Richtofen jumped to his feet as he ran back to his desk and hastily collected the papers he needed to take with him. He hadn't that many belongings but it felt good to feel like he was doing something. Through the flurry of paperwork he suddenly stopped. His ears caught onto a sound coming from the stage.

Richtofen crept over to look out at the stage from his ivory tower. He'd found comfort in being tucked away in the projector room but it also allowed for him to keep a close eye on _her_. His eyes widened as he saw her sitting up in the sofa gasping for breath; but her anguish didn't please him. He wondered to himself what she could've dreamt about to cause such a reaction - _it wasn't exactly easy to instill fear in her._

But the real pang in his heart came as he watched his other self instinctively rush to her aid. He watched as Primis gently held her and comforted her. How he could tap into that emotional vein in other human beings. Which was something Richtofen had long since buried away. But seeing the two made him pine for it; he wished it had been him instead of Primis.

He caught himself at that thought and swiftly discarded it. _He was destined for better things than meager human affairs, he thought._ But the thought remained persistent as it returned to the forefront of his mind causing him to think about his life.

Once he'd become a man and felt confident enough in his abilities he fled the familiarity of Dr Vogel - _determined to put them into practice._ He enlisted in the army after the Hitler youth in order to leave his wretched mother and sister behind - having been too young to fight in World War One until the latter years. After the mayhem of the war subsided; he found himself without a means to continue his desire to kill.

Richtofen remaind a reserve though he took up many odd jobs between 1920 and 1924. He enjoyed the underworld which lurked beneath every city he visited. And it was at this time when his attraction to death was fully realised. A bayonet to the heart of an enemy soldier hadn't given him the thrill he'd expected when he signed up. Nor even the explosion of a grenade and the shower of limbs that ensued. _No, these deaths were too impersonal and quick._

In Berlin, he signed up to work in the hospital's morgue. As an apprentice technician he became enchanted by Dr Josef Roth - _and his work._ The man was brilliant, Richtofen would spend hours watching him dissect cadavers as he taught him the anatomy of the human body. Dr Roth would even take the young Richtofen along with him to academic gatherings at universities around the country.

After a year, many regarded Richtofen as the lucky student to become Dr Roth's protégé. Dr Roth took pity in Richtofen's past although the details were mainly inferred. He felt the need to take it upon himself to shape his brilliant young mind. He, himself, was a bachelor - _now in the later years of his life at 59._ With a life dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, he had never married or had children.

But one fateful visit to Greifswald University changed the now aging academic's life - _and subsequently Richtofen's._ The lecture hall was packed with scientific minds from around the world as a resident Professor began his lecture on the marriage between neurology and psychiatry. More precisely, how the neurons in the heart reacted to stimuli. He had just began using the attraction between a man and woman as an example when a young lady caught Dr Roth's eye. She was certainly younger than him but she held her gaze confidently and unwaveringly.

So for the rest of the two hour lecture; Dr Roth was now focused solely on her. His mind buzzed with thoughts as he began to plan out scenarios in his mind on how to approach her. Such lectures tended to preceed the mingling and networking that was so common during academic gatherings. Meanwhile, Richtofen was oblivious to his mentor's inner turmoil and had been completely enthralled by the Professor as he removed the heart from the cadaver with such precision and finesse. He began to fantasise about how it would feel to be the one to wield the scalpel. _And the power and control it would bring over the life of another._

Eventually, Richtofen's attention was finally drawn to the man beside him as a look of confusion washed over him. He was puzzled as to what exactly could be more interesting than the display before them. Richtofen locked onto Dr Roth's line of sight as he traced the object of his gaze - _causing_ _his eyes to widen in horror._ A female? Surely Dr Roth was better than that! His mind was brilliant and it was a crime to taint it with such lewd thoughts, _he scoffed._

During their journey back to Berlin, Richtofen knew deep down that Dr Roth would never be the same. And sure enough, he quickly became distracted and began making mistakes that the young Richtofen would have to point out to him. The young man knew he'd lost his mentor to a harlot - _which he saw all women as._ Dr Roth had become so enchanted by the female that day that they had been exchanging love letters over the next few months.

One night, Richtofen returned to the lab to search through Dr Roth's office for clues. He knew the female had been able to maintain her spell over the poor man through prolonged exchanges of correspondence. Otherwise, he would've come to his senses by now. Richtofen quietly made his way to Dr Roth's desk and began searching the drawers - _initially to no avail._ As he pondered his next move, Richtofen felt compelled to look underneath the desk. To his surprise, a small lock could be seen which lead to a secret compartment.

Richtofen unfurled his bag of tools and expertly picked the lock; a skill he had acquired in his days of bodysnatching and stealing equipment from the hospital inventory. As the lock clicked open he felt anxiety flow through his body as he dreaded the answer he knew would now confirm itself. In a small box, there were letters and a photo of the young female academic - _signed,_ _Greta_.

Richtofen read the latest letter which referred to a clandestine meeting they'd had and his pending departure to be with her. The words made his stomach twist and contort as he had been kept in the dark about Dr Roth's pending departure. _It was a feeling of utter abandonment._ He scrunched up the letter and set off - not caring whether anyone saw him leave or not. He rampaged through the hospital pillaging equipment and medications which he bundled into a hold-all. That night, Richtofen returned home never to see Dr Roth again.

In later years, he'd learned how Dr Roth had married the woman. How they'd started a life together in Hamburg and how she had been expecting his child - _something_ _which_ _surprised Richtofen_. How did he have it in him? However, _to Richtofen's delight,_ he'd also later learned how Greta died during childbirth. Which left Dr Roth, _an aging widower,_ with the task of of raising his newborn son alone.

The responsibility had taken such a toll on the man that he quickly turned to drinking in an attempt to cope; eventually resulting in the child being given up for adoption.

After recalling this bittersweet tragedy, Richtofen thought about the many other men in his life who had fallen victim to these sirens of destruction. Even Dr Maxis had strayed from the course of greatness by Sophia.

Richtofen scoffed as he was now back in the present watching his Primis self soothe the trembling woman. A smirk grew in the corners of his mouth and he laughed to himself.

 _"I am better zhan zhat. I vill not allow meinshelf to be svayed by zhe charms of females. Zhey are poison to zhe mind"_ , he hissed lowly.

_End of part twenty-five..._


	27. Update

Hello friends xxx

I was going to write tonight's chapter but it's a super important one for the story and my health is currently at rock bottom.

I hope it's okay if I can publish the next chapter tomorrow instead. I'm going to try and get an early night and make sure it's my best work ❤

Sorry for the delay xxxxx


	28. Chapter Twenty-Six: From Russia With Love

Richtofen sat in the back of the GAZ-M1 as the car jostled along the bumpy streets of Moscow. The engine hummed and groaned each time the car shifted gears. The poor chauffeur made sure not to make eye contact with the German - _who was completely in awe of his surroundings._ It was nice being back in _some_ kind of normality as the city was already starting to salvage what it could from the war. But it was November 1945 and the harsh Russian winter made efforts more difficult.

The snow filled the streets despite the best efforts of the natives to keep it at bay. Everything was shrouded by it's touch. Hollowed out buildings peppered each side of the road amongst the others that remained unscathed. The city was grey and lifeless with a pulse barely registrable. Groups of men worked tirelessly to clean up the streets - _their_ _faces_ _blackened_ _with_ _soot._ The odd military official was seen patrolling along with observers who had arrived to record the scene for posterity.

Richtofen took some enjoyment in imagining the city in the throes of war. The fighting, the gunfire and the inevitable casualties. The current scene was only the boring aftermath of the real excitement. But regardless, he still wanted to make sure he made the most of his trip. Soon enough, he'd be back in the hellish pigsty with the others. His chauffeur hadn't spoken a word the whole journey from airport - _which_ _Richtofen preferred as he abhorred_ _small talk._ Richtofen had actually arrived in Russia from the United States but made sure to make a intermediary stop in Berlin as not to arouse any suspicions.

The voices had laid out the trajectory of the course of action Richtofen needed to take. Simply teleporting to the Moon from Der Riese was no longer viable. His diary was of the utmost importance if he were to formulate an alternative confrontation with Samantha. But now that he had discovered the facility at Kino der Toten; the voices helped him see this useful opportunity.

The solution to the problem would have proved almost impossible for a mere mortal to figure out alone. But the voices were omnipotent and they _were_ there to guide him after all. How else would Richtofen be able to know who's hands his diary was now in?

Teleporting was one thing but now he had teleported through space _and_ time. This was uncharted waters for even Richtofen's great mind. Simply teleporting back to Der Riese was one thing but this with this new variable he had to find a way to calculate the coordinates to include the time. So, the voices obliged in guiding him on overcoming this new vector. But, just as Richtofen was about to simply travel back and retrieve the diary - _something most people would have assumed was the best course of action_ \- his Overlords had _other_ plans.

Mortals only saw the path directly in front of them - _but they saw the bigger picture_. They wanted to play the long game that was now possible with this opportunity. Simply retrieving the diary would have prevented the next stage of the game that could be played. They knew that the diary would inevitably be found by the Soviets, _who_ , wanted to continue where the Germans left off.

They were also aware of the potential the Americans had as they too wanted to get their hands on the German research. These beings were carrying out an agenda which spanned the beginning of time; and they wanted to ensure all possibilities were accounted for. Element 115, the Aether - bringing humans into the mix was _required_ for them to see through their plans. But of course, they would never explain this much to Richtofen.

So, they simply told Richtofen to travel back in time but to instead carry out the necessary provisions which would aid him in 1963. In order to reach the teleporter unseen, Richtofen made sure the others were sufficiently away from the stage before jumping in - _armed with his new orders_ _and_ _coordinates._ He had input the coordinates to return to his secret Stuttgart facility in 1945.

A facility which he, Schuster and the other rebel scientists had kept from Maxis. Richtofen kept a safebox there with identity papers should his plan - _nicknamed_ _Operation Shield_ \- to get rid of Maxis go awry. But these papers now had a different purpose as they presented the opportunity for him to carry out these new orders.

With the end of the war, both the Americans and Soviets were already sowing the seeds of animosity for the Cold War. Aside from the race to build nuclear warheads or even the future space race; both countries wanted to be first to continue the mysterious work of the Germans.

Therefore, the voices demanded that Richtofen finish the deals he had been in the middle of negotiating with the Americans and Soviets respectively. Operation Shield had no set date of execution as he and his men were simply waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. So, these deals were the aces the Doctor carried up his sleeve until it's execution.

The voices had told Richtofen that they must now be seen through and how they could be used to get him out of the rut he'd found himself in back in 1963. But of course, _being Richtofen_ , he was going to have some fun with it.

The first stop after collecting his papers was to reach out to the Americans. Richtofen made a deal with them under Operation Stapler which also ensured his men were safely taken out of Germany in order to continue conducting their research. But, _like any good businessman_ , Richtofen also made the deal with the Soviets. Playing both sides would ensure success either way.

Richtofen finished mulling over his thoughts and began to look out the window again. After snaking through many streets, the buildings parted to reveal a large grandiose behemoth of a structure. Richtofen sat up and looked out as he marvelled at the building.

 _"Ahh, so zhis is vhat zhe Lubyanka looks like"_ , Richtofen whispered to himself as they approached the entrance.

The car was quickly swallowed into the mouth of the grounds before pulling up outside. The chauffeur pulled up the handbrake before getting out to open the door for Richtofen. The tall German stepped out of the car dressed in a three piece beige suit as he carried a brown leather briefcase. His Nazi uniform was safely stored for his return to the theatre.

He actually looked quite handsome - _when he dressed like a normal man._ His dark blonde hair was slicked back with his signature silver temples on full display. Upon returning to civilisation, he had decided to treat himself to a haicut and a trip to the tailor. The double-breasted suit fit beautifully on his lean frame as the waistcoat hugged his body perfectly. He wore a red bowtie in contrast to his crisp white shirt. His welted tan leather shoes were freshy polished and clicked gently on the ground as he walked. He looked like the quintessential 1940s heartthrob - _and classic never goes out of style._

As Richtofen approached the doors, he produced a silver pocket watch from his waistcoat to confirm he was still on schedule. Two large guards ushered him in at the entrance as they threw back the grand wooden doors. As he stepped inside, Richtofen was rather disappointed by the drab interior. Which had taken it's toll on the once grand building leaving it's facade a lonely echo of it's illustrious past. A short, nondescript, man dressed in a black suit was already waiting for him in the foyer. He perked up upon seeing Richtofen and promptly made his way towards him.

 _"Doctor Richtofen, I presume?"_ The man called out. Richtofen turned to the man before giving him a curt nod. He absolutely towered over the small Russian; who looked visibly uncomfortable in Richtofen's presence as he struggled to respond.

 _"Vell? Shall ve get going?"_ Richtofen snapped impatiently. The man cowered before hurriedly showing Richtofen the way. Every corridor looked the same as the monotonous Soviet interior would have made it very easy to get lost. After what felt like hours of navigating the labyrinthine building; they finally reached the top floor to the executive offices.

Two soldiers stood sentinel outside the office before standing to attention and opening the doors. Richtofen marched in to be confronted by a man seated behind a large oak desk flanked by two soviet flags. He put down his pen and tidied his paperwork before waiting for Richtofen to be seated.

 _"Hello, Doctor Richtofen. I hope you are enjoying your visit to the capital. As you can see, we have_ _already_ _begun to_ _rebuild_ _"_ , the man announced as he narrowed his eyes indicating his awareness of Richtofen's _German_ nationality. Richtofen remained standing - _quiet and menacing_ \- as he gave another curt nod.

 _"Oh, my apologies. My name is Vsevolod Merkulov. I am the chairman of the KGB"_ , he said before standing up and shaking Richtofen's hand. Both men sat down before the man continued.

 _"I heard you wanted to make a deal with the Motherland? The KGB is very aware of the research Germany undertook during the war. And_ _ **we**_ _would very much like to continue it. What are your terms, Doctor?"_ Mr Merkulov decried at the latter. Richtofen narrowed his eyes before clearing his throat.

 _"If jou vant to_ _ **obtain**_ _our important vork I have a lisht of demands zhat_ _ **musht**_ _be met before I had over any manuscripts to zhe Russian Government"_ , Richtofen commanded defiantly which earned a raised eyebrow from the man.

 _"And_ _ **what**_ _are these demands?"_ The man sneered. Richtofen ignored him as he quietly put his briefcase on his lap and opened it. He subsequently produced a document titled _"Richtofen's Provisions"_. He nonchalantly reached across the large desk and handed it to Mr Merkulov - _who gingerly read every word._ After a minute or two, he looked up at Richtofen in disbelief.

 _"Doctor, surely you don't want--"_ , his voice shook before being cut off by Richtofen.

 _"If_ _jou cannot meet such shimple demands I shall have no choice but to pass zhe shcientific_ _ **baton**_ _to zhe Americans"_ , Richtofen stated matter-of-fact.

 _"Oh no, you needn't do such a thing Doctor! I was just a bit surprised at the... eclectic list of items you require"_ , Mr Merkulov reassured.

 _"I vant_ _ **everyzhing**_ _on zhat lisht. I have_ _ **shtipulated**_ _every detail in vhich it must be delivered to me._ _ **Vonce**_ _jou shee to zhem, I shall have mein men deliver zhe manuscripts und zhe Ascension Group can begin zheir vork"_ , Richtofen said. Mr Merkulov looked visibly uncomfortable.

 _"I_ _\-- uh-- I thought you brought them with you today"_ , Mr Merkulov said in a shaky voice.

 _"Nein. Jou vill fulfill zhe list firsht"_ , Richtofen stated before looking at Mr Merkulov expectantly. After a few seconds, the man relented.

 _"Very well, Doctor. I will have my men see to it"_ , the man replied submissively.

Richtofen stood up and left the room without a word. His large strides allowed him to quickly traverse the large office before the doors automatically opened before him. Mr Merkulov sat quietly as he watched the German leave. Once the doors closed again, he held up Richtofen's list of demands before reading some of them aloud to himself.

_"One pet monkey._

_One recording of Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring"._

_One cosmonaut suit and lunar lander -_ _**coordinates to be specified.** _

_One miniature replica of St Basil's Cathedral._

_One Faberge egg yolk._

_and..._

_One bottle of Stalin's vodka (to see what all the fuss is about)."_

Mr Merkulov shook his head in disbelief and let out a sigh.

_"What a strange man..."_

_End of part twenty-eight..._


	29. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Flowers Amongst The Decay

My eyelids flickered as I my ears picked up muffled voices nearby. I slowly awoke to what quickly evolved into the sound of giggling and sniggering; but as I visibly stirred on the sofa they quickly hushed. I eventually opened my eyes to see Dempsey and Nikolai looking over at me as they stifled another laugh.

 _"Awww, is very cute, no? Leetil woman has boyfriend"_ , he whispered to Dempsey.

 _"Can't say I don't wish it was me but he's better than the doc at least... and he_ ** _is_** _the doc!"_ Dempsey exclaimed with a belly laugh before Nikolai joined in.

Once my eyes adjusted, I sat up and felt a warm body next to me. I turned to see Primis fast asleep - _completely oblivious to all the eyes on him._ He looked peaceful like it had been the first time he had slept so soundly. As he twitched and shifted on the sofa, I felt a smile appearing on my face as I watched him. _He looked peaceful for once._

And it was clear _this_ Richtofen was self-aware of his psychopathic tendencies. _Acknowledgment is always the first step._ And _even_ Dempsey could see the burning conviction behind Primis' desire to _"do the right thing"_ and become a better man. Suddenly, my thoughts dissolved as he opened his eyes and narrowed them at me suspiciously.

 _"Vhy are jou shtaring at me?"_ He snapped defensively. Before I could answer, the sound of giggling returned and his eyes shot across to Dempsey and Nikolai. Both men were now sitting on the edge of their sofas, poised for Primis' response. Meanwhile, Takeo sat alone on the edge of the stage as he turned around to eye the situation. In his usual manner, he rolled his eyes - _clearly unamused by the men's childish behaviour._

 _"I demand to know vhat is sho funny!"_ Primis commanded as his voice echoed. Nikolai was the first to speak.

 _"Well, German. We were just admiring the fact that you_ ** _volunteered_** _to keep leetil woman warm in cold theatre. Was very kind of you -- I think German likes her, no?"_ He said as he loudly whispered the latter and nudged Dempsey. I watched a blush glow on Primis' cheeks as he turned away from us all in a vain attempt to hide it.

This sent Dempsey and Nikolai over the edge as they began rolling around with laughter - _completely unable to contain it._ Primis buried his face deeper in his blanket before I put a hand on his shoulder causing him to look up and focus on me.

 _"I appreciate you being there for me last night"_ , I said kindly before leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. The men's childish giggling ceased as they sat up in shock. Primis looked taken aback before melting into the sofa - _he was absolutely wasted._

An hour later, and after the spectacle had died down, Takeo and Nikolai got up to take on watch duty. It was probably better to have a dedicated patrol around the theatre since there might have been more undead ready to tear down the barriers at any moment. Dempsey walked over to the M16 wall chalk to buy some more ammo before returning to the sofas with me and Primis.

I felt absolutely exhausted today which it must have been fairly obvious. Primis turned to me and put his hand on mine as I turned to look at him with fatigue weighing on my eyes.

 _"Jou need to rest today. I_ ** _know_** _about jour health"_ , he said. I knew what he meant and took that as my cue to slump back down onto the sofa as I was fairly tired of pretending to look functional by now. I huddled in the blanket as Primis got up before he turned back to look at me.

 _"Ve vill ve repairing ze barriers nearby. Me and Dempshey vill be keeping an eye on jou at all times. Please get some rest today"_ , he said with genuine care and concern for me. Dempsey looked over and nodded to me in confirmation.

 _"Thanks, I appreciate it_ ", I said before quickly and effortlessly falling asleep again.

After what must have been several hours, I finally awoke from my comatose state to find that night had already begun to set in. As I slowly sat up and gave a roaring yawn; I caught the attention of Primis who gently helped me sit up. Dempsey sat on the next sofa as both men watched me - _expecting some kind of status report._ Once I had gathered myself together, I stretched out my limbs before turning to look at the men.

 _"I slept well, thank you",_ I said answering their silent query. Both men simultaneously smiled in relief.

 _"Jou have been ashleep all day, ve vere vorried about jou"_ , he explained.

 _"Yeah, I ain't ever seen anyone sleep that much... and I'm the king of naps!"_ Dempsey chuckled to lighten the mood. We all laughed before Takeo and Nikolai entered the stage from the lobby. We turned to look at them with residual smiles before realising their faces rang with concern.

 _"Richtofen is nowhere to be seen"_ , Takeo stated firmly. We all looked at each other. _Where on earth could he have gone now?_

 _"Are you sure he's not just ignoring you when you knock on his office door?"_ I said dryly. We all laughed a bit before the weight of dread began to loom over us again.

 _"Well, how about we have that chat then?"_ Dempsey enquired. Takeo shook his head - _his face worn with seriousness._

 _"Do not let your guard down for a second or the cat will steal your fish",_ Takeo replied. Nikolai rolled his eyes as I straightened up on the sofa before agreeing.

 _"Takeo is right. It would be foolish to think we can speak freely at this time"_ , I said. Primis nodded before Dempsey let out an audible sigh.

 _"Well what the hell are we gonna do then?"_ Dempsey said with frustration. We all remained silent as we thought out our next move. I placed my hand under my chin as I tried to figure out Richtofen's motives. Maybe he is at the lander. But where exactly _was_ it? Richtofen hadn't yet said where it was in the theatre. _Was it even in the theatre at all?_ None of us had seen it and it seemed like the kind of thing that would be hard to miss.

 _"Why did the story have to be so bloody convuloluted?!"_ I thought to myself. I don't think _anyone_ truly knew every detail of the storyline... _not even Treyarch._ So I began to think about how exactly the boys got to the cosmodrome from here. And why on earth was Richtofen in a spacesuit by the time we play Ascension? Is this why he is nowhere to be seen?

The presence of Primis and I had no doubt put a spanner in the works. Surely just by being here we had thrown off the original turn of events. By this point my head was beginning to hurt as my mind raced with hypotheses. After a few minutes, I realised that everyone had been staring at me as I mused this whole time - I looked up in surprise.

 _"I don't know what's happening anymore. You need to understand guys that the storyline was a total mess and the writers had to go back to explain things and try and make it all work. Then a new director came in and..."_ I said shakily as I realised I was no longer in control if I didn't know the _exact_ storyline. Everyone looked concerned before I felt a hand on my shoulder.

 _"Jou do not need to beat jourshelf up about it. Mein ozher shelf is unpredictable und no doubt he has already begun making his plans work around jou and I"_ , Primis reassured me. I slumped back in the sofa with stifling defeat. _How was I going to make things right?_

Takeo and Nikolai got up and tried to occupy themselves for the rest of the evening by fixing up any remaining barriers. Dempsey decided to take care of the food alone this time and Primis began stalking the theatre for clues. Everyone was tense and just wanted something to take their mind off it.

I, _however_ , remained firmly planted on the sofa - _with_ _both anger and frustration coursing through my veins._

 _"I will not be beaten!"_ I declared to myself. But this universe was taking it's own form outside of the confines of the storyline.

_It really was a fully fledged world that was just as unpredictable as my own._

I sat alone for the next hour in deep thought. _Though_ , I must have fallen asleep as I woke up laying on the sofa with my blanket tucked around me. My eyes slowly opened but I was alone; everyone was still busy getting work done before bed.

Suddenly, my nose twitched as I could smell the unmistakable aroma of flowers.

_End of part twenty-seven..._


	30. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Persian Rose

A frown formed on my face before I quickly sat up and looked around again - _still,_ _no one was there._ I thought my mind was beginning to play tricks on me; how on earth could I be smelling perfume all of a sudden. I was still groggy and half asleep as I tried to make sense of it so I sat back and tried to wake up first. I lifted the blanket off of me and left the cold air give me the slap on the face I needed.

After a few minutes, my brain felt a lot more functional and I looked around to see if anything had been disturbed or an indication that someone had been here. The smell was becoming overpowering now that my senses had fully awakened. I followed my nose as the hypnotic trail curiously led to underneath my cushion. I anxiously picked up the cushion and moved it aside to reveal a postcard laying under it along with a small ornate bottle which looked like it contained a potion.

I picked up the postcard and forensically examined it. There was no postage stamp and practically no wear or tear which indicated that the card was given to me without changing that many hands. The picture on the front was an artist's watercolour of St Basil's Cathedral. The large impressionist brushstrokes were loose but still encapsulated the grandeur of the building and it's architecture. I eagerly turned the postcard around to reveal a beautiful handwritten note.

_"Dear Kiana,_

_I'm sure the others will no doubt be running around in confusion without myself at the helm. And a small part of me would like to think my absence causes you some discomfort too._

_You really are a heavy sleeper; I didn't get even as much as a stir from you when I arrived through the teleporter. You look very serene when you sleep; much unlike the persona you wear around the others when awake._

_But I digress, you are no doubt anxious to know my whereabouts. I have work to see to before I return. Moscow is very beautiful at this time of year... points for correctly guessing which year I'm visiting in. I'm sure you can do it._

_I would be very grateful if you could corral the others and keep them entertained until I return. I shan't be too long._

_P.S - I do hope you like the perfume; I stopped over in Paris on my travels just for you. It has been crafted by the finest perfumists in the country. I arranged it myself._ _I know you will appreciate the Persian Rose - you are not fully Scottish... are you?_

_Alas, it must be very intoxicating mixed with your pheromones._

_Goodbye for now._

_Yours Faithfully,_

_Doctor Edward Richtofen (M.D)"_

I threw the postcard to the wayside in annoyance. Richtofen had the _audacity_ to leave us all here whilst he went about enjoying a wee trip around the globe. I knew fine well he had made a deal with the Soviets as well as the Americans but I had no idea he had actually _done_ it during the game.

 _"Smug bastard"_ , I cursed under my breath. I reluctantly decided that I may aswell inspect the perfume. The bottle was in French but I could make out some of the ingredients: amber, oud, peony... _and rose._ How ironic that so many women would've loved such a concoction yet Richtofen manages to find the one woman in the world who hates the smell of roses. I laughed to myself as I shook my head.

 _"I'm sure he is very proud of it"_ , I said to myself. I sat back and laughed as I imagined Richtofen prowling the perfume boutiques of Paris and practically terrifying the poor perfumists into making it.

But this meant I wouldn't have to anticipate his return for another few days so I felt I could at least let my guard down a little. I would have peace to exist without him lurking in the shadows for a while. Suddenly, a smile ran across my face as I realised this was the perfect time to finally bathe. I could lock myself away and finally have a good scrub in the showers. I trusted the others as I knew they wouldn't disturb me and Primis definitely wasn't creepy like Richtofen.

I quicky looked up as I heard footsteps coming towards me. Strangely, I was torn between hiding the postcard and perfume or just being upfront and telling the others. Thankfully I decided to follow the latter which was much more sensible. We were all a team now and I couldn't go back to keeping secrets. Takeo, Nikolai, Dempsey and Primis all walked in to settle down for the night. Primis was first to clock I was awake as he gave me a warm smile.

 _"Hallo Kiana, I_ _shee_ _jou_ _are finally avake. I hope_ _jou_ _are feeling much better now_ ", he called out with a playful smile. The men followed behind and made their way towards the sofas. They all smiled over as they looked fatigued from the long day's work but the serious look on my face drained the smiles from theirs.

I waited for everyone to settle down on the sofas before I held up the postcard. They all looked on in bewilderment as they waited for me to explain.

 _"I have a postcard here from Richtofen"_ , I announced.

 _"What the actual fuck?"_ Dempsey whispered aloud.

 _"Oh, vhere is he now?"_ Primis snarled. Takeo and Nikolai remained silent as they awaited my answer.

 _"The Doctor is on a little trip"_ , I began. Dempsey let out a loud snort.

 _"You mean he left us_ _ **here**_ _in this shithole while he's on holiday?!"_ Dempsey raised his voice in disbelief.

 _"And what the fuck is there to visit? Everything has gone to shit!"_ He added.

 _"Well, it seems he's in another time as he used the teleporter. I know there was a grey area in the story where he makes a deal at the end of the war with the Soviets and another with the Americans"_ , I stated. Dempsey sat back in disbelief.

 _"No way a country like America is gonna make a deal with that greasy kraut!"_ Dempsey said defiantly.

 _"Well Dempsey, I'm sorry to say they do. They wanted to continue his research for themselves. There is going to be another war that happens called the Cold War. Richtofen was at least smart enough to play both sides"_ , I explained.

 _"Ahh, very instereshting. He's not as shtupid as he looks"_ , Primis snarled. We all let out a small laugh.

 _"Well, we'll get some peace from him for a few days until he returns"_ , I added which earned a unanimous nod from everyone. Primis then spotted the perfume bottle next to me and narrowed his eyes.

 _"Und vhat exshactly is zhat?"_ Primis said suspiciously. I sighed before handing him the bottle. We all watched as he examined the label before taking off the top. He expertly sniffed the contents causing his moustache to twitch up and down. His eyes suddenly snapped back at me is confusion.

 _"Apparently he wanted to leave me a little gift. He must have stopped off when I fell asleep again"_ , I hypothesised aloud to the group.

 _"I hate the smell of roses"_ , I whispered dejectedly - _which_ _Primis_ _heard as he_ _was_ _sitting close to me._ He quickly put the top back on the bottle and set it aside.

 _"Let's get some sleep"_ , Primis announced as we all agreed and turned in for the night.

_We would deal with it tomorrow..._

_End of part twenty-nine..._


	31. Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Boy

The atmosphere was still as the snow bombarded the city. Richtofen sat quietly in the back of the car as it hummed along the road. After his meeting with Mr Merkulov, Richtofen's chauffeur had been given orders to drive him to a nearby hotel - _the infamous Hotel Lux._ But Richtofen was a brilliant genius and he was not going to fall for such a simple minded trap from the Soviets. _He knew exactly what going there would entail._

The hotel in question had long since become notorious for housing German communist exiles who had fled Hitler's rise to power. It's rooms quickly became overcrowded and conditions were poor. The rat infestation had long established itself back in 1921, hot water was only available twice a week; and crammed communal kitchens regularly boiled food next to pots of diapers which were in the process of being sterilised.

In 1934 Stalin began his first purge and by 1936 the hotel was firmly in his crosshairs. The number of German Communists, _as well as those from other countries_ , had long since aroused his suspicions. He began to suspect the hotel's occupants were spies and conducted investigations. And soon, Hotel Lux notoriously became known as "the golden cage of the Comitern".

The hotel's occupants were kept prisoner during these investigations and nightly raids conducted by the NKVD secret police saw men randomly being taken away in the night. Many were subjected to interrogation for false confessions and sent to gulags. Their wives and children were left behind in the hotel, isolated from the rest of the occupants and treated as enemies of the state.

Richtofen knew the Russians viewed _all_ Germans with suspicion and his welcome at the Lubyanka was far from lukewarm. He deliberately carried the manuscripts in his briefcase to entice them into making this kind of move. Logically, it would have been much easier to simply take the documents from Richtofen and throw him into obscurity in a Siberian gulag. Rather than meet his list of demands.

But showing them that he was a force to be reckoned with would ensure that they _would_ take his demands more seriously. If he were to quietly leave the country undetected - _showing_ _he was_ _impervious_ _to their cheap tricks_ \- the Soviets would have no choice but to attract his attention again by keeping their end of the deal. Something which he would know the outcome of soon enough once he returned to the theatre.

Amongst the discussion between the chauffeur and the small trembling Russian man who had escorted him back at the foyer; he picked out the words _"Hotel Lux"_ mixed in the Russian. Richtofen made sure to remain unphased as he got in the car. As he looked out of the window, Richtofen methodically counted the number of twists and turns as the driver navigated the city. Once he knew they were near to the infamous Gorky Street; Richtofen ordered the driver to stop.

The chauffeur didn't put up any resistance and floored the brakes. He silently trembled as he anxiously watched the German in the rearview mirror. Richtofen quietly leaned forward in his seat - _never breaking his deadly gaze from the chauffeur in the mirror._ The man trembled, _completely frozen in place_ , as the German stalked closer. Richtofen released a sly malevolent smile before producing a flip knife in one had and a 10,000 ruble bank note in the other. The man quietly looked down at the two items and nodded to Richtofen's right hand which contained the money.

 _"Ja, I zhought jou vould choose zat one"_ , Richtofen smiled before ordering the man to drive into the nearby alley. The chauffeur turned around and reached for the money before Richtofen snatched it back and waved a finger.

 _"Nein, not until jou drive in zhere"_ , he smirked. The poor man shakily put the car in gear and released the handbrake as the car reluctantly rolled into the alley. The buildings were packed close together allowing just a sliver of winter light to pass through.

The car slowly fell out of sight before an abrupt blood curdling scream could be heard which was swiftly muffled. After a few moments, Richtofen emerged from the other end of the alley with tan leather gloved hands gripping a small luggage case. He was now wearing a panama hat which matched his suit and a smart, grey longline wool coat which draped around him. Night was beginning to fall as the meager sunlight was quickly dwindling. He popped the collar of the coat and began to pick up his pace.

A small child stood by the edge of the pavement gawking at the German which caught his attention. Once Richtofen noticed, he straightened up and tipped his hat to the young boy who still remained enchanted by him with childish fascination. He then crossed the road and approached the boy - _towering over the child._

 _"Sprechen sie Deutsch?"_ Richtofen asked lowly.

 _"Jawohl"_ , the boy quietly affirmed.

 _"Bist du vom Hotel?"_ Richtofen asked as he suspected the boy was the child of one of the Hotel's German occupants.

 _"Ja, aber meine Mutter ist gestorben"_ , the boy whimpered as tears began to fill in his eyes. His mother had passed away in the hotel. _He must have been no older than five, Richtofen thought._ Though, _despite his age_ , he had managed to escape the prison hotel and found himself aimlessly wandering the streets.

 _"Komm mit mir"_ , Richtofen ordered reluctantly as he rolled his eyes. The little boy nodded and ran to stand by Richtofen's side. Richtofen looked down at the child with confusion as the little boy looked up expectantly. After a few seconds, the boy held Richtofen's free hand - _taking Richfofen by surprise._ He narrowed his eyes at the child who seemed unphased by the German's fierce gaze.

A small smile of intrigue formed at the corner of Richtofen's mouth as he suddenly marched forward with the child struggling to keep up with his large strides. Richtofen had booked an earlier flight back to Germany than he actually disclosed to the Russians - _using the arsenal of papers from his safebox._ By the time they would realise, he would be safely on his way back to Germany.

For the hour or so he had to wait, he had decided to take refuge in the seedy undergrowth of the city. But now, he had taken on the responsibility of this child. Although, he knew obtaining fake papers was not difficult - _even at short notice._ As they were walking, Richtofen caught this thought and began to question himself.

 _"Vhat am I thinking?!"_ he asked himself in disbelief. Why _should_ he go out of his way to help the child? As far as he was concerned, the boy was lucky not having to grow up with a mother anymore - _especially a Mutti that couldn't beat or berate him._ But the boy was wandering the streets in a jumper full of holes, shorts and worn out shoes. He would not survive the unforgiving Russian winter. The thought of which evoked a feeling of hopelessness in Richtofen.

He looked down at the boy trailing beside him and sighed at how pathetic he looked. The little boy's face was full of determination to keep up as he held onto Richtofen's large gloved hand. And in that moment, Richtofen felt a feeling that he had long since thought was dead within him. _He felt sympathy for the boy._

Richtofen eyed the pub ahead and swiftly took himself and the boy down the stairs. As he swung through the door, the pub's patrons looked around and eyed them both suspiciously. He ignored them and made his way to the bar to approach the pub owner. A burly Russian stood drying out a beer glass as his eyed flicked up to Richtofen.

The German leaned over the counter and whispered something which made the man's eyes widen. He out down the glass and ushered Richtofen into the back room as the boy followed close behind. Upon reaching the threshold, Richtofen swivelled around and ordered the boy to wait outside - _which the child did obediently._ The door creaked closed behind the two men which was quickly replaced by eery silence.

After 10 minutes, Richtofen emerged alone - _clutching papers which he then stuffed into his coat pocket._ The boy perked up and ran to Richtofen's side before holding his hand as they left. The pub owner shakily emerged from the room as the patrons anxiously awaited his appearance. He nodded to them and returned to the bar before continuing to dry glasses with now trembling hands.

Richtofen and the child made their way to the airport and subsequently produced their papers to the staff. The officer scrutinised the papers before reluctantly allowing them to board. After an hour of more waiting, the plane left the ground and was now making it's way to Berlin.

Once they arrived, Richtofen took the boy to an Inn in the city. As Richtofen entered through the door, the elderly man at the desk gasped and looked at the German like he was a ghost.

"Edvard, it has been twenty years!" the man exclaimed before ushering him and the boy into the private office.

Richtofen put down his case and collapsed into the chair in front of the man's desk. He let out a sigh and placed his hat on his lap before realising the child was standing loyaly right beside him which startled him. The man sat at his desk and eyed the boy with confusion.

 _"Edvard--"_ , the man tried to speak before being cut off.

 _"Nein! Don't go zhere!"_ Richtofen interrupted angrily.

 _"Jou have become soft Edvard. Vhat happened to zhe man I vonce knew?"_ The man began as he smiled. Richtofen looked up at him and glared before the man put up his hands to back off.

 _"I need jou to make sure zhe child is looked after_ ", Richtofen ordered earning a look of surprise from the man.

 _"Edvard, vhat am I to do vith a child?"_ The man asked exasperatedly.

 _"Jou helped me, Hans"_ , Richtofen said lowly. The boy still remained sentinel beside Richtofen as both men negotiated.

 _"I vant jou to look after him und give him a good life. He has been zhrough a lot in his exishtence so far"_ , Richtofen explained.

 _"Just like jou, Edvard?"_ The man compared; causing Richtofen to keep his head bowed and avoid eye contact.

 _"Very vell, he can stay here vith me und help at zhe Inn"_ , Hans agreed.

 _"Zhank jou"_ , Richtofen said quietly before putting on his hat and getting up to grab his case. As he bent down to grab the handle, the boy put his small hand on his causing Richtofen to look at the child in bewilderment.

 _"Wilhelm"_ , the child said in a small voice. Richtofen stood up and put his hands on the boys shoulders.

 _"Jou vill have a good life vith Hans. Jou have a shecond chance--"_ , Richtofen explained before being cut off. Wilhelm suddenly wrapped his small arms around Richtofen and gave him the warmest hug as tears began to fill in his eyes.

Richtofen looked around at Hans anxiously - _clearly out of his depth._ Hans nodded as Richtofen awkwardly patted Wilhelm on the back before kneeling down to his level.

 _"Look, jou have to shtay here. I have to go somevhere vhich is unsafe for children"_ , Richtofen explained to the crying boy. Large tears fell from his eyes as they ran down his pink rosy cheeks. Richtofen looked back around at Hans with panic before Hans gave him an expectant look. Richtofen took a deep breath and sighed before hugging the boy who sobbed into his right shoulder.

 _"Jou have to be a big boy und shtay here. It is for jour own good"_ , Richtofen tried to explain gently.

 _"_ _Nein_ _, I_ _vant_ _to come_ _vith_ _jou_ _!"_ Wilhelm cried which cracked Richtofen's usual disconnected demeanour. The sobbing child was becoming too much for him to bear as it reminded him of the feelings of sadness that he felt as a boy.

 _"_ _Bitte_ _"_ , Richtofen whispered as Wilhelm suddenly stopped crying and looked at him with curiosity. Richtofen looked down and didn't make eye contact as his demeanour was increasingly beginning to shatter.

 _"Come_ _Wilhelm_ _, let me show_ _jou_ _vhere_ _jou_ _vill_ _be staying"_ , Hans intervened as he came over and took the boy's hand. Richtofen quietly stood up and left as the boy watched him leave with tears still rolling down his cheeks.

_End of part twenty-nine..._


	32. Chapter Thirty: Uninvited Guest

I awoke first the next morning with determination to enjoy the solitude of a nice warm shower. Strangely, we managed to locate a still intact water heating system when we first arrived. Richtofen had fixed it up along with the generator but finding the right opportunity had been the challenge.

Everyone was still asleep as I tiptoed out - _trying to contain my excitement._ I made my way over to the showers as I held my pistol tightly; on the odd chance the undead would decide to put a stop to my bathing. But I had always suspected that the undead went after Richtofen. It always seemed like Samantha was sending her army after him and the others were simply caught in the crossfire.

So whilst I remained cautious, I anticipated that our break from Richtofen also meant we would have a break from Samantha's wrath. _Even if she was angry with me._ I had not heard from her since my last dream so I had assumed she saw no point in our occasional meetings anymore. There was absolutely no way I was going to kill Richtofen - _no matter how terrible he was._

I finally made my way to the showers to be met with an open space rather than the decency of cubicled privacy. Evidently, there had not been many women in this facility. Before the showers, a square area lined with lockers and benches did at least conceal the showers from the main entrance. On one of the benches, there was a stack of towels. Though, describing the towels as white would have been an affront to the colour itself. The towels were more of a dirty grey which surprisingly still remained soft enough not to be considered sandpaper.

I suspected Takeo had washed them for us as they were impeccably folded and stacked with the utmost precision. And despite my less positive assessment of the situation, I was still very grateful for his efforts. So I reached down to pick one up and made my way to the showers.

Back home, I was accustomed to a more civilised way of bathing. There was no shampoo or conditioner, no face scrubs for exfoliation and certainly no shavers for my legs. It was terribly miserable but it was definitely a wake up call from the pampered life we all led back home. Which, _at_ _this point_ , I'm ashamed to say I took for granted.

There was one chalky white bar of soap sitting pathetically by the ledge next to one of the showers. I picked it up before sniffing it delicately to make sure it was still usable. The soap smelt musty but I discerned that it was still at least usable. I then walked over to the shower which provided the most concealment should I be unlucky enough to have visitors.

The mixer taps were rough and worn. The holes in the shower head barely allowed for any water to escape them as it was encrusted in rust and grime. As I turned the taps, flakes of rust crumbled from the sudden use as the system slowly woke up from it's long slumber. The shower head lifted slightly as the pressure of the water flowed up the pipe. After a struggle, the water won against the rust and flowed unrestricted down onto the tiles below.

The whole shower had come back to life as if it had simply been waiting to be used again. Everything worked exactly as it should - _which really conveyed the resilience of the place in general._ I had half expected brown filthy water to come out as the water flow cleaned out the pipes. However, to my surprise, the water was crystal clear. I put my hand under to gauge the temperature and adjusted the hot and cold taps accordingly. Once I had the correct balance I quickly stripped off and slung my clothes on a pipe nearby.

Once I was under the shimmering veil of water; I was enveloped by it's comforting warmth. The heat was soothing to my muscles and I instantly felt relaxed. I reached for the soap and lathered it in hands as I tried my best to clean my body. There were no cloths or bath scrunchies like I enjoyed back home - _just the awkwardness of trying to slather myself in soap with bare hands._

I laughed to myself as I thought about the amount of exfoliation it would require to rid myself of the grime I had accumulated since I got here. Maybe the heat alone from this shower would cause me to shed so many layers that I would simply shed my form for the next unfortunate man to walk in on. _Now I know how reptiles feel..._

I tried my best to clean my hair though the soap only made my dyed hair brick hard. My hair was now steadily matting together as I tried to untangle it under the water. As tragic and ungrateful as it may sound, I was absolutely miserable. My hair was so bad I had manic thoughts of simply cutting it off if this is what showering was going to be like from now on. I even cursed the very day I ever decided to dye my hair!

As I stood hunched over under the water feeling sorry for myself; I heard the door click open and closed. My body stiffened and my eyes shot wide as I panickedly scrambled for my clothes and hid behind the wall where my uninvited guest no doubt stood on the other side.

I cautiously pulled out my pistol and held it close to me. I stood listening for footsteps yet nothing clicked against the tiled floor. I began to grow anxious as I had expected to hear something had it been one of my comrades. Plus, they would have known someone was in here since the water was audibly crashing against the tiled floor.

My bare feet padded against the floor as I quietly tried to make my way to the edge of the wall and sneak a glance around at whatever was there. My clothes were now sadly damp against my wet body as I had hastily bundled them under my arm. My attempt at a nice relaxing shower was clearly not going to happen today. Which was something that was beginning to make me angrier the more I thought about it.

I trusted my comrades not to walk in on me and I knew if it had been them they would have simply turned and left. Yet the underhanded silence in which this entity was operating under gave rise to my concern. I began to worry it was one of the undead but stopped myself at the thought.

 _"They can't bloody use doors!"_ I chastised myself for being so ridiculous.

Richtofen wasn't due back for a few more days so how on earth could it be him? Did he deliberately lul me into a false sense of security? Was he really creepy enough to say that just so I would finally take a shower thinking he wasn't there to watch?! This scenario began to make my blood boil. I was becoming increasingly inspired to punch him - _if I was to discover this was the case._

I finally made my way quietly to the edge of the wall and took my opportunity to look around. No one was there.

_But_ _I_ _immediately frowned at what was now sitting on one of the benches._

_End of part thirty..._


	33. Chapter Thirty-One: A Surprisingly Welcome Surprise

I

I squinted a little in disbelief before confirming that my eyes were not deceiving me. Sitting on one of the benches was a medium sized paper bag. The words were all in German but I made out the word _"Berlin"_. I frowned and cocked my head to the side as I looked at it. _What on earth?_ I retreated back to the shower and grabbed my towel. I slung my clothes back over the pipe which was swiftly warming up and wrapped myself in the towel.

I went to investigate the mysterious bag with my pistol still in hand. I cautiously tiptoed over and made sure I was alone before focussing my attention back on the bag. I pulled on one of the handles to open it - _revealing toiletries and some kind of clothing._ I then realised there was a small tag attached to the handle of the bag.

_"Kiana,_

_I hope these items will meet your requirements. It must be so very difficult having to maintain yourself in this hellhole. Mind you, it must be very difficult being a woman in the first place. It baffles me how your kind find the energy for such things. I am exhausted simply thinking about it._

_P.S - I also bought you something nice to wear. It is a crime allowing you to walk around in that military get up with those ugly boots and ill-fitting trousers... if you can even call them trousers! It is all so drab and masculine."_

I looked up from the note and off into the distance as I tried to process what the heck I had just read. After a few seconds of trying to take all this in - _all I could do was blink._ The bastard came home early to sneak up on me whilst I finally felt safe enough to shower. I was torn between marching to his office and shouting at him and diving into the bag and appraising the items in it. The luxurious perfumes wafted out the bag like a siren to ships.

I chose the latter and rummaged through the contents of the bag. I pulled out a box of lavendar soap - _a far cry from the chalky crap I had just tried to use._ Next, I pulled out lavender shampoo and conditioner as well as a natural loofah sponge. There was also a bottle of pomegranate face cleanser and a linen cloth to go with it. But, the main spectacle had to be the assortment of leg razors waiting for me at the bottom of the bag.

I almost squealed with excitement as I hurriedly ran back to the shower - _forgetting to check the items of clothing._ I would have to keep that surprise for after my descaling! I happily exfoliated and slathered my hair for the next hour as I selfishly took my time - _enjoying the newfound solitude._ I didn't even _care_ where Richtofen was anymore; I was completely in the moment. And I doubted that he would hide away in one of the lockers like some horny schoolboy. _Though, stranger things have happened._

Steam enveloped the room as I finally shut off the water. I wrapped myself in my towel and picked up my old clothes before skipping happily back to the lockers. I laid them down before taking out the wrapped parcel of clothes. I gently tore away the tissue paper to be met with the first folded item. I eagerly held it up as it unfurled to reveal a double-breasted longline wool coat. It was a deep bordeaux colour and fitted at the waist with a flare hem.

I was a bit surprised before I put it aside and pulled out the next item. As it unfurled, it revealed itself to be a dark emerald, A line, wrap front dress. It clearly looked straight out of the 40's which was very surprising. I then pulled out a pair of leather brougue lace up shoes with a cut out on each side of the foot.

Inside one of the shoes was another note which read:

_"I have long since observed your aversion to anything with a heel - despite your height. Hopefully these will be suitable enough._

_And I_ _know how you feel about the style of clothing. But please, do give them a chance! I can already imagine how beautiful they will look on you._ _.._

_One more thing, check the next bag. There are some pairs of hosiery and underwear. I had to guess your brassiere size. I do wonder if I was correct."_

My eyes widened before I shook my head in disbelief. _Wow, that's not creepy at all._ I had completely flooded my clothes when Richtofen entered to leave the bag and even the warm pipe I left them on was not enough to fully dry them yet. So, sadly I relented and dressed in my new clothes.

And yes, the underwear _did_ fit perfectly - _goodness knows how he so accurately guessed._ In fact, I didn't even _want_ to know how he figured it out! As I rummaged deeper, I also found a hairbrush and a red chain pattern scarf which hid away at the bottom of the bag - _as well as rouge lipstick._ A lip colour that in no way suits me, _great!_

Once I had finished dressing I went over to one of the mirrors to look at myself. I grimaced as I looked like some cringey pin up before flipping my wet hair forward and covering it with the towel. My new shoes clicked across the tiled floor as I made my way back to the bag. I went back to the shower to gather my old clothes and new toiletries and placed them in the bag. I put on the wool coat and buttoned it up in a vain attempt to hide the dress.

I walked over to the door to leave before stopping and taking a deep breath. I braced myself for the reaction of the others before pushing the door open. I took my time making my way back as I tried to delay the inevitable. I imagined Dempsey's unbridled gawking, Nikolai's slurred attempts at a compliment and Primis' fit of blushing which would no doubt ensue.

Unfortunately, I did make my way back to the stage where the men were all still sleeping. I _had_ gotten up very early as I had hoped to sneak back undetected. Just as I got to my sofa, Primis' eyes shot open as my heart sank.

 _"He is back by zhe vay--"_ , he said matter-of-fact before being taken aback by my new attire.

 _"Aye, I know"_ , I said sarcastically before pointing to my clothes. Primis took in the new look before a blush enveloped his face. I rolled my eyes as my prediction had been completely spot on.

 _"Eyes here, please"_ , I said trying to gain his attention again.

 _"Where is he now?"_ I asked once his eyes were back on my face. Primis tried to gain some composure before pointing up to the projector room. As I looked up, I saw there was a faint glow from a light in his office.

 _"Right, I'm off to thank him and shout at him"_ , I stated dryly before making my way to the teleporter.

 _"Jou cannot get up zhere. He has jammed zhe teleporter so no vone can enter"_ , Primis said jumping up after me. I realised this before stopping to think. After a moment, I walked out onto the floor below the projector room and shouted out.

 _"Oh, Money Bags! Come out"_ , I yelled out. Primis was back on the sofa as we both watched to see whether Richtofen would come to the window. After I was about to give up, a tall shadow danced across the ceiling and Richtofen poked his head out to see where the noise was coming from.

 _"Down here!"_ I called out again as Richtofen followed my voice. His usual scowling demeanour was replaced by a smile when he saw I was wearing the new clothes.

 _"Oh, I shee jou decided to vear it!_ _Jou_ _look very feminine und ladylike for vonce"_ , he said condescendingly with a triumphant smirk.

 _"Let me come up"_ , I said ignoring his comments.

 _"Nein!"_ Richtofen shouted before narrowing his eyes. He leaned out the window and glared down at me as I glared back up at him. We both stood there for what felt like ages before he finally relented.

 _"Fine zhen, I vill come get jou._ _ **Do not**_ _touch zhe teleporter or do_ _ **anyzhing**_ _shtupid"_ , he snapped. I looked back over at Primis with a look of victory as I skipped over to the teleporter.

As I stood waiting for his arrival, a flash of blinding white light appeared before an arm reached out and pulled me in.

 _All that_ _was_ _left behind_ _was_ _the_ _towel_ _I_ _had wrapped around my hair._

_End of chapter thirty-one..._


	34. Chapter Thirty-Two: The Doctor's Lair

Once the buzzing lights evaporated around me - _I finally opened my eyes._ I still wasn't used to teleporting yet; at least not until I had done it a little more. Though, this new sight was far from an improvement. Richtofen stood leaning down as he looked deep into my face - _our noses almost touching._ After a few seconds, his eyes shot up to lock with mine as he stood there in silence.

The same glacial blue eyes held me in a hazy trance as we engaged in some kind of standoff. I held my ground waiting for him to speak first before he narrowed his eyes at me. It was clear he had something he wanted to say.

_"Hah! Jou sheemed fine to enough to teleport vithout having to cling onto somezhing for dear life zhis time!" Richtofe_ n noted irritatedly. It seemed almost like he was comparing himself to Primis. Or at least comparing my behaviour towards them. As I hypothesised, he pursed his lips after he looked down at my neck.

_"Jou are not vearing zhe perfume I bought jou"_ , he snarled before pulling away. He began pacing up and down on the other side of the small room as he awaited my excuse.

_"I'm sorry, I just can't stand the smell of roses--"_ , I began before being cut off.

_"Hmph! How ridiculous, all vomen sheem to love zhe shmell of roses!"_ He snapped back irritatedly.

_"I'm not 'all women' "_ , I replied bluntly but honestly. And with that, Richtofen was now up close and personal again as he tried for the millionth time to intimidate me with his intensity.

_"Mmh, ja. Jou keep reminding me of zhis"_ , he whispered with a forked tongue as his eyes pierced through my very being. I remained silent - _ignoring_ _his_ _slightly_ _flirtatious demeanour_ \- which I knew for sure would irriate him. And right on cue, his lips began to form his signature pout.

_"Are jou not surprised zhat I figured out jour ozher heritage?"_ He smirked, changing the subject.

_"Nah, not really"_ , I tried to say nonchalantly. I was used to some people being able to identify my Middle Eastern features whereas some remained completely oblivious. It was all very hit and miss as I did throw most off with my complexion. Most people think of tanned, dark skinned people with black hair when they imagine Middle Easterns.

_"It is jour eyes. To zhe unrefined gentleman, zhey vould shimply shee brown - perhaps even hazel._ ** _But I_** _shee zhe more delicate details und aspects. Zhe vay jour eyes turn zhe colour of peridot vhen zhe sun hits zhem. Yet, zhey revert back to a rich smoky quartz in dimmer lighting. Zhe full thickness lashes, even zhe shape of jour eyes. Zhey are unmistakably Persian"_ , he explained before pausing to gauge my reaction. I remained stoic and guarded my thoughts which he noted before continuing.

_"Yet, even vith such a rich heritage, jou choose to dye jour hair blonde. Do jou vish to conceal zhis shide of jourshelf? Jour roots are already telling a very different shtory. Jour dark blonde hair is very Caspian, zhey do have a fairer complexion to zhe south. Jou look very Caspian,_ _I_ _vould_ _even_ _go as far as shayingzhay jour family is probably from Tehran"_ , Richtofen lectured before a triumphant smirk crept across his lips as he failed to conceal how proud he was of himself.

For once, he thought he was the detective. He was even smug enough to try and use his observations to question aspects of myself. I was completely taken aback by this sudden interest in me rather than the observations themselves. And, _honestly_ , I didn't really know how to respond. So I just remained silent and let him continue. It was evident that he wasn't done anyway.

_"Do jou know zhe Germans und Persians vere vonce vone tribe?"_ He asked.

_"Yes, the Indo-European Aryans. The race that your boy Adolf quite fancies"_ , I replied sarcastically.

_"Ja, und even I must admit jou are a vonderful shpecimen"_ , he added.

_"Aye, so I gathered from the notes you left me but I'm trying to just push what I read to the back of my mind, thanks"_ , I said trying to end this line of conversation.

There was a brief silence as Richtofen obliged and didn't push me further. But just awkwardly standing there wasn't much of an improvement - _and it was clear the silence was annoying him too._

_"Vell?! Don't jou have somezhing to shay? Jou did ask to come up here after all"_ , he snapped impatiently. He had placed one hand against the wall as he stood over me with the other behind his back. I slouched down and wriggled out of his enclosure to free myself before I walked away to give more distance between us.

I approached his desk and eyed the chaos. The desk was cluttered with papers but I was able to sit on a corner where the table surface was still visible.

_"Well, I was raised right--"_ , I said as I was cut off by an audible remark from Richtofen.

_"Tch!"_ Richtofen scoffed before folding his arms and turning away from me.

_"I was raised right -- despite your reservations on that. But I wanted to be civil and thank you properly. You really didn't need to go to all that bother--"_ , I said before being cut off again.

_"But you vanted it, right?"_ He interjected. His eyes became manic as he stalked over to the desk where I was sitting.

"Well, of course. It was greatly appreciated. Back home, none of us are really used to this kind of living", I replied.

_"But! I know zhere is a 'but' coming next"_ , Richtofen interrupted. As he stood over me - _eager for my response._

_"I just don't get why you would go out your way to do that for me"_ , I finally explained. His eyes calmed before he smiled.

_"Vell, if jou must know... I shimply did it so I vould not have to listen to jour vhining zhat jou hair isn't pretty enough or zhat jou haven't 'exfoliated' recently"_ , Richtofen snarked. All I could do was raise an eyebrow at his sudden change in attitude - _which really irritated him._

_"I have entertained jour interrogation long enough. Can jou just leave now?"_ He snapped as he turned away waved a hand dismissively.

_"I have another question"_ , I said lowly. This caught his attention as Richtofen swivelled around to look at me again with one eyebrow raised.

_"I_ _ **don't**_ _owe jou any explanation. I vill leave_ _ **vhenever**_ _I vish und I vill_ _ **not**_ _answer to jou vhen I do so!"_ He said angrily. It was kind of scary how he knew exactly what I was about to ask but it brought a bit of a smile to my face.

_"Oh, Doctor. I'm not bothered as long as you keep bringing back little gifts"_ , I smirked sarcastically. A large grin spread across his face.

_"Oh, ja. I'm sure jou are vondering how I knew jour brassiere size"_ , he growled as he leaned closer.

_"Actually, I'm really not. And I really don't want to know your methodology behind that one"_ , I grimaced as I turned away from him and broke eye contact.

_"I think I'll go now thanks"_ , I said quickly as I tried to get up without touching him. He was standing right in front of me which made it difficult. Eventually, he moved aside which i took as my chance to jump up and try to figure out how to leave the projector room. In my haste I scampered around before Richtofen gently grabbed my wrist.

"I _vould really appreciate if jou vould vear zhe scent, just vonce. I know it vill grow on jou"_ , he said before his face was engulfed in the same blinding light as before.

_End of part thirty-two..._


	35. Chapter Thirty-Three: What Must Be Done

Once they made it through to the teleporter on the stage, Kiana stepped out of the whirlwind of light and electricity. In her slightly disorientated state; she fell into the arms of Primis who had been patiently waiting for her return.

Richtofen remained concealed within the light of the teleporter as he eyed the scene outside. He quietly shook his head before teleporting back to the projector room. After a few minutes, he was back in his empty office. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust before he walked over to his desk and sat down.

There were muffled voices coming from the stage as the others were no doubt waking up. It was still morning as the light struggled to seep in through the dilapidated threatre ceiling. The air was piercingly cold as it snaked it's way through the building like a predator stalking it's prey.

Richtofen got up and went over to the cupboard door on the right side of the room. He quickly opened it and snatched up an item. Richtofen had taken his wool coat back to the threatre with him as he knew winter was already setting in at the theatre. The coat was loosely slung over his uniform like a cape as he returned to his desk.

The voices from the stage were beginning to settle down; leaving the room in a silence which was becoming increasingly more deafening. Richtofen clutched his head with a gloved hand in anticipation - _the silence always preceeded the voices._

 _"When are you leaving for the lander, Edward?" A_ small voice crept up in his mind.

 _"You are stalling again, aren't you?!"_ An angrier voice cried.

 _"Yes, he has not been the same since his trip!"_ Another chimed in.

 _"_ ** _SHUT UP!_** _"_ Richtofen cried in anguish as he was now clutching his head with both hands. He felt his sanity beginning to elude him as the voices all began competing for dominance in his mind.

 _"You have gotten soft Edward. The man we knew would never have taken pity on that pathetic little boy!"_ The angry voice sneered above the others.

 _"He has indeed, it is because of that_ ** _woman_** _. He has not been himself since she arrived"_ , another hypothesised.

 _"I'm right here! Shut up --_ ** _ALL OF JOU!_** _" Richtofen_ demanded again, this time with a little more backbone. He hated when they brought Kiana up. They would tell him all the ways he could dispose of her. How she needed to be discarded as she was an interference.

The voices suddenly went silent which lulled Richtofen into a false sense of victory. He rubbed his temples before exhaling and went to focus on the paperwork in front of him.

 _"We need to get rid of her"_ , the quiet voice whispered - _the words reverberating in his brain._

 _"She has changed you, Edward. And you are getting worse the longer she is around you"_ , the voice continued.

 _"What was the point in buying her all those gifts? You have feelings for her yet you are not even trying to conceal them. Why do you want her to know? What do you expect to happen, Edward?"_ A new voice spoke up.

 _"Leave me be! I do not vant to talk about it!"_ Richtofen shouted aloud.

 _"Do you_ _really_ _think you can just live happily ever after? After_ _ **all**_ _the things_ _ **you**_ _have done, Edward?!"_ The angry voice became more aggressive again.

 _"A house with a white picket fence? Two children and a dog? Do_ _you_ _really think this is how things will_ _turn out_ _for you? Why would you even want it in the first place?!"_ The voice continued with ever increasing malice.

 _"You have come too far now. Nothing_ _will_ _absolve_ _you_ _of_ _the_ _crimes you have committed against your fellow man"_ , a voice gently explained - _matter_ _of_ _fact._

 _"The only way you can_ _be_ _forgiven is_ _to_ _become_ _your own god. She_ _will_ _not save you, she is a_ _mere_ _mortal_ _. But soon, you will have power as great as ours and you shall shed this tainted vessel. You are destined_ _for_ _greater things!"_ Another voice explained excitedly and impatiently.

 _"_ _But--_ , Richtofen began before the angry voice cut him off.

 _"What?! What more do we need to tell you?! Why_ _can't you_ _see this? Why would you_ _allow_ _a human female to stand in your way?!"_ The angry voice roared and bellowed in his head.

 _"I_ _cannot_ _get rid of her. I cannot_ _allow_ _meinshelf to do such a_ _zhing_ _to her"_ , Richtofen explained with deep sorrow.

 _"_ _ **We**_ _will have to get rid of her then._ ** _She_** _is the cause of all_ ** _this_** _! You will either do it by the end of the day or we will have no choice but to do it for you"_ , the angry voice hissed as it issued the ultimatum.

 _"Nein! No, bitte! I cannot!"_ Richtofen pleaded.

 _"You killed the chauffeur without as much of a thought. You can do it again. We know you enjoyed it. Killing a living breathing human being again; not the animated corpses that cannot feel!"_ the quiet voice explained raggedly as if unable to contain the pleasure of the thought.

 _"Nothing will come of your feelings, Edward. She does not reciprocate. And even if she did, what do expect to happen? You are not built for love, Edward. All you know is violence. Kill her and let your feelings die with her"_ , another voice gently whispered. The latter part rang in Richtofen's head as he became overpowered with a rush of mixed feelings at it's implications.

For the first time in so many years, Richtofen could feel tears forming in the corners of his eyes. His heart clenched and convulsed in his chest as a wave of hopelessness overcame him. He was never allowed to recieve love. This life had denied him any kind of affection so far - _what was going to change now?_ She never showed him any affection; the voices _were_ right.

But all these years of violence and deceit; _they_ were responsible for bringing him to the doorstep of godhood. Killing and maiming was all he ever knew which he blamed life for doing to him - _he simply adapted to enjoy_ _it_ _._ Human beings were cruel and callous. They could never show kindness for more than a second. Always wanting war, money or power. There was no one good left on this earth.

This was what had brought Richtofen and Maxis together. They wanted to purge the earth of evil and cleanse this sick world. Any evil they committed along the way was simply for the greater good. Nothing good comes without sacrifice and collateral damage. And Richtofen's personal shortfalls were simply because this world was polluted - which had tainted _him_. He was simply the mirror reflecting humanity's desire to kill and mutilate.

And gods were above the trivialities that humans found themselves so hopelessly entangled in. She did not fit into his plans, she only sought to stop him and it was clear that she was a thorn in his side. _The voices were right._ He wasn't going to get his cake and eat it - _Richtofen told himself._

 _"Yes, Edward. You are coming to your senses. We only want what is best for you"_ , the angry voice now cooed.

 _"You must not waste any more time and leave for the lander now. We know it is waiting for you. Go to your base, it is still there. But the teleporter no longer works in 1963. You will have to traverse the land to get there"_ , the quiet voice instructed.

 _"Ja, I must get zhere right avay! I have been wasting mein precious time since I got back!"_ Richtofen proclaimed as he suddenly stood up from his chair.

 _"What do you plan to do with the woman?"_ The quiet voice enquired.

 _"Zhere is no need to intervene. I know vhat_ _must_ _be_ _done"_ , Richtofen reassured the voices

_There_ _was only one way._

_End of part thirty-three..._


	36. Chapter Thirty-Four: Alone Together Again

I fell into Primis' arms after stumbling out of the teleporter. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust as everything came into focus. I looked up as I clung onto him to steady myself. His moustache twitched a little as I noticed his breath hitch. My face was right in the crook of his neck. I could feel his heart begin to beat faster; his face went beetroot as the blush radiated across his face.

 _"Thank you"_ , I whispered quietly as I quickly pulled away to give Primis space. I tried not to stare and make him self-conscious.

 _"N-n- no problem"_ , Primis stuttered as I stood up - _allowing him to release his grip of me._ I still felt a little dizzy but I was much more stable on my feet now.

 _"Jou should take a seat"_ , Primis suggested as we walked over to the sofas. As we sat down, the others were already beginning to wake up with all the commotion. Takeo was the first to rise as he sat up and looked over at me with surprise.

 _"A gift from Richtofen"_ , I explained as I gestured to my new attire. Takeo quietly nodded and looked down at his feet - clearly still confused.

 _"Wuhhh... hmph, I- need-_ _ **VODKA**_ _!"_ Nikolai slurred in his sleep before jumping up with inhuman speed. He quickly rolled off the sofa and onto the floor as he frantically rummaged through his bag and frowned.

 _"Huh, what is this?"_ The Russian queried aloud. We all looked on as he pulled out a bottle of vodka; but it wasn't the kind he usually kept in his bag. The bottle was all in Cyrillic with ornately crafted glasswork and a gold foil seal around the neck.

 _"I have died and gone to heaven!"_ Nikolai bellowed with happiness as he quickly tore off the foil seal and unscrewed the cap.

 _"I'm not the only one who got a present"_ , I laughed as I nudged Primis. But deep down, it was more reassuring to me than funny. _I_ _wasn't_ _the_ _only_ _one who got_ _special_ _treatment from_ _Richtofen_ _._ We both laughed as Takeo frowned and rolled his eyes. We suddenly heard grumbling coming from Dempsey as he finally managed to sit up on his sofa.

 _"Aw man, what'd I miss?"_ Dempsey asked groggily. He sleepily looked over at me before his eyes nearly popped out of his head. I rolled my eyes as Dempsey's reaction was exactly as I predicted. _Cue the unbridled gawking._

 _"Richtofen decided to buy me some clothes on his trip. But he also bought Nikolai some fancy vodka"_ , I said gesturing to the happy Russian as he sat on the floor slumped against the sofa - _nursing the bottle._ We all laughed at the sight as even Dempsey managed to let out a gravelly chuckle. _Nikolai_ _was in absolute bliss._ Dempsey regained his composure a little before making sure to gawk one last time at me.

 _"What the hell is that freak up to?!"_ Dempsey spat - _referring to Richtofen's choice of gift for me._

 _"He's a weird one. But my other clothes were getting filthy anyway"_ , I said diplomatically; making sure to omit the truth that Richtofen walked in during my shower and actually made me soak my clothes. I didn't want another fight breaking out between those two.

 _"Ahem!"_ We heard a voice call out. We all looked around to see Richtofen stood proud by the teleporter as he glared at us all. He made extra effort to thoroughly glare at Primis and I - _which I made sure to ignore._ He always brought feelings of doom and gloom whenever he entered the room.

 _"I have made progress on our nexsht move. Zhere is a lunar lander ve_ _musht_ _get to; but it requires us to travel on foot. Ve cannot shimply teleport to it_ _zhis_ _time._ _Zhis_ _lander is very important as ve need it to take us to our nexsht destination"_ , he explained as he prowled closer to us.

 _"And where exactly is that?"_ Dempsey said as he stood up. The doctor continued to approach before stopping next to me - _though, he made sure to ignore me_ _as he did so._

 _"Zhere are coordinates programmed into zhe lander. Ve shimply sit und vait to be taken to vhere ever avaits us"_ , he said lowly and menacingly. Dempsey was about to speak again before he hesitated and sat back down. He didn't seem to want to pursue any more questioning this time. Perhaps because he knew I would provide a more honest explanation than Richtofen.

He looked over at me for reassurance which I gave him through a small nod. I suspected Richtofen knew exactly where those coordinates would take us - _the cosmodrome._

My attention quickly turned to Richtofen as he put a hand on the sofa - _narrowly missing me as he kept his eyes on Dempsey the whole time_. I shifted away from his hand towards Primis as Richtofen took note and moved it back by his side. Primis put a hand on my leg; the typical male signal that essentially means - _'back off'._

Dempsey did decide to begin jibing Richtofen about his plan though. He mocked Richtofen for how ludicrous it sounded to be trusting a random lander to take us to some unknown location. He still wanted to put up _some_ resistance; and knowing I was there to guide everyone gave him the courage to prod Richtofen a little - _even if it was just for the sake of it._ That was enough motivation for him.

I was still a bit dizzy and slumped back on the sofa. Primis stayed beside me as we all had to endure another one of Dempsey and Richtofen's arguments. The tension between the men was quickly escalating before Takeo thankfully intervened.

 _"There is no point in arguing Dempsey. The doctor knows what he is doing"_ , he shouted as he had to compete over their voices. Both men stopped as Dempsey looked at Takeo with a sly grin. He knew Takeo was just saying it: he still wanted to let Richtofen think he was in charge. Dempsey immediately withdrew from the argument as Richtofen stood with a smug smile plastered across his face.

 _"Exactly, American. Jou vill know jour place!"_ He shouted triumphantly.

They were both beginning to raise their voices again before I heard tapping and scraping nearby. I turned to look around as my eyes caught sight of a nova crawler making it's way down the wall towards us. It clung to the wall like a spider as it twisted and twitched in agony. It was absolutely frightening to see in real life and something that genuinely terrified me as I struggled to remind myself that it was once a human being.

I turned back to the others and tried to let out a yell to warn them - _but no sound came out._ Richtofen and Dempsey were now at each other's throats as they stopped to look at me - _frozen in my look of terror._ Primis turned to look at me too and subsequently caught sight of the creature in his peripheral vision. It had already covered an unexpectedly great distance and was now heading for the sofa before Primis pulled me to safety.

Dempsey and Richtofen pulled out their guns and fired at the creature. It fell on it's back as it sighed it's last breath. Though, I was the only one who knew what was coming next.

 _"Hold your nose!"_ I managed to shout before it exploded. The creature let out a noxious green gas which lingered in the air. We all covered our nose and mouth until it finally dissipated. Everyone looked at Richtofen expecting an explanation; one that he refused us as he was continuing to play dumb when it suited him. He crossed his arms and deflected the task to me.

 _"They're called 'nova six crawlers'. This was the first destination where I encountered them in the game"_ , I explained. The residual smell had finally reached where Takeo and Nikolai were sitting as Nikolai began to cough and heave. Everyone took note to keep an eye out for them from now on.

We began to let our guard down as I could see everyone finally begin to relax. Primis stayed close to me and it genuinely felt nice to have someone looking out for me. Dempsey opened his mouth to begin another tirade against the doctor when a loud crash came from one of the windows in the lobby. Before we could even get up to investigate, a large horde yelled in unison as they clamoured their way to us.

Dempsey and Richtofen unclipped their guns and rushed to the edge of the stage as they unleashed magazine after magazine into the horde. Primis held me close as he readied his mauser. I pointed to the M16 chalk outline nearby which I knew he had enough points for. We rushed to it and he quickly loaded the gun before firing at undead who were now coming through the nearby windows. As usual, I didn't have enough points to buy a gun so I stuck with Richtofen's pistol.

Whilst everyone was busy fighting undead Richtofen turned around and quickly ushered us into the teleporter. Primis narrowed his eyes at him with suspicion as I nodded to him to say it was okay. I was genuinely curious as to why he wanted to teleport back to the projector room. It definitely did not make sense but I knew deep down he wanted us alone. So, I played along.

We jumped in before the air around us began flicker and electrify again. Before the teleporter was fully charged; Richtofen quickly pushed Primis out before he could even protest.

I was inundated with the same blinding light as before with many faces all appearing and dissappearing before my eyes.

_End of part thirty-four..._


	37. Chapter Thirty-Five: Feelings Laid Bare

Suddenly, the electric mist evaporated as I realised I was standing in Samantha's room - _in it's demonic form._ I looked around - _conscious of my limited time_ \- before I found and grabbed the film reel nearby. I figured it would be important to have; even if it played the same film as the game.

I was quickly plunged back into the blinding light before it cleared again and I was now in the projector room. Richtofen was sitting on the edge of his desk waiting for me.

 _"What the heck did you to that to Primis for?! Why are we here?"_ I barked at him in annoyance. Richtofen had already clipped his MP40 to his belt as he got up and sauntered towards me. His eyes were full of something I'd never seen before.

But before I could figure out exactly what it was; he pushed me against the wall as I felt the force of him against me. I was backed up against the window next to the projector that looked out onto the stage.

 _"Richtofen! What the_ _ **heck**_ _are you doing?"_ I shouted as I lashed out and tried to break myself free. It quickly became clear my attempts were futile as I stopped protesting and looked up at him. There was a look of madness that was being held back by this new expression I'd never seen on his face.

 _"Richtofen...?"_ I whispered in confusion - q _uietly hoping he would snap out of it._ I was unsure how to act in this situation. In this state, he was wild and unpredictable.

 _"Kiana..."_ Richtofen's voice trailed off as he whispered my name. His eyes were wild and manic as they fell down to my lips. His mouth twisted into a sly grin as I felt cold with panic. I froze as I anticipated his next move. He suddenly lifted a hand towards my face causing me to jerk and flinch.

I felt him tangle his fingers through my still damp hair - _much like the last time he did it._ I looked up at him as he gazed into my eyes in a heady hypnotic trance. His wild eyes were now subdued and dreamy. My eyes darted to his mouth as I noticed him now smiling. It wasn't the menacing smirk we had all become accustomed to - _it was a small, sweet, inward smile._

His eyes became hooded as he began to lean in closer to me. His hands trembled as pressed me against him tightly. One hand began to stray from my waist as it shakily made it's way up my back. My body went rigid with shock and panic. Still, the sounds of gunfire and the undead continued to erupt below us. Richtofen had decided to lure me back to his office for _this_ while everyone was fighting for their lives.

Before his lips could brush against mine; I quickly reached for my pistol. Richtofen's look of enchantment quickly turned to anger as his eyes narrowed and his smile turned to a grimace. Before I could even unholster my pistol; he had already grabbed my wrist.

 _"_ _ **NEIN**_ _!_ _ **Not**_ _**now**_ _!"_ He snapped as he grabbed the pistol and unloaded the bullets. The shells sparkled in the light as each one fell to the floor with a ring. I looked up at him in shock as he then proceeded to throw the gun across the room.

 _"Jou cannot even allow me_ _ **zhis**_ _moment?"_ He sneered with irritation and disappointment. My shocked expression turned to a frown as I glared back at him.

 _"No! Everyone's fighting to stay alive down there and you choose to do_ _ **THIS**_ _? NOW OF ALL TIMES?!"_ I shouted back angrily.

 _"Why the hell are you doing this doctor?"_ I snarled as I demanded a reason. Instead, I received only silence from him as he reached down into one of his jacket pockets. I braced myself thinking it was a weapon.

I heard metal clinking against itself as I looked down to see the silvery metal shining in his hand. He had produced handcuffs from his pocket before quickly restraining me as I attempted to fight back. Once he got one cuff around my wrist; he attached the other cuff to the projector. I felt light with disbelief before he looked deep into my eyes and finally spoke.

 _"Oh, Kiana. Jou know I cannot allow jou to schtop me. Und as much as I'll miss jour presence, I know it must be done"_ , he whispered softly. I closed my eyes as I expected to be executed right then and there. When nothing happened, I opened my eyes again and looked at him.

 _"Even after all zhis time, jou shtill believe I could allow meinshelf to hurt jou?"_ He whispered before leaning closer to me. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh before leaning toward him and whispering in his ear.

 _"Even after everything I've told you, your tragic demise, your plan never coming to fruition... Still, you remain fixated on it? There's an_ _ **even bigger**_ _universe outside of your own yet you don't even_ _ **want**_ _to acknowledge it?! You'd rather play out the same little story like a broken record? Why can't you see this?"_ I whispered as my voice withered at the latter. I could feel tears coming as I tried to hold them back.

Richtofen pressed the side of his face against mine as he wrapped his arms around me. We stood there in silence as we listened to the pandemonium below. After a few minutes, he finally spoke up.

 _"Tell me somezhing, vould jou ever shay to me 'Edvard, please don't do it. I love jou, Edvard'. Or vould jou sooner lock me up for mein insanity?"_ He enquired. My breath caught as my body froze with shock. He pulled back to look at me as I tried to turn my face away from him.

 _"Nothing I could say will make you change. And I will_ ** _never_** _accept you for the monster you have choosen to be._ _ **You**_ _have_ ** _chosen_** _to be a tormentor of people",_ I spat as I turned back to look at him with ferocity in my eyes.

" _There are only two ways out of this doctor, you either choose to make the change or you will destroy yourself"_ , I replied bluntly as my gaze pierced right through him.

 _"Und jou zhink_ _ **I**_ _am capable of changing mein nature?"_ He enquired with intrigue.

 _"_ _ **No one**_ _is born like this"_ , I snapped angrily.

 _"Und jou vould love me if I changed?"_ He replied with haste as his voice picked up pace. I closed my eyes and paused before summoning the courage to speak.

 _"Yes",_ I managed to say the word - _which left my lips as barely a whisper._ There was a pause as Richtofen stared into my eyes like a great revelation had been revealed to him. Then, his expression became morose.

 _"Gods are above love und human frailty. Und mein ascension avaits me, I cannot allow jou to get in zhe vay... no matter how deep mein feelings for jou may be"_ , Richtofen whispered. I looked up at him in shock. In that moment, I knew what that unknown look was. I didn't believe he could have feelings for anyone... _let alone me._ He was a cold-blooded psychopath who was only out for his own interests.

 _"Jou could join me, Kiana. Help me und I vill shee to it zhat jou are protected"_ , he said leaning in as his eyes flashed to become crazy and dangerous again. His voice was ragged and breathless.

My face began to crumple as I knew known deep down there was no reasoning with him. I turned my face away and began to feel the hot tears burn my cheeks as they fell. This caused him to stop his advance and a small smile curled the corners of his lips.

 _"As I zhought"_ , he said softly before putting his fingers beneath my chin and turning my face to look at him again.

 _"I vant jou to look at me"_ , he whispered softly as I complied. As I stared into those beautiful, _dangerous_ , glacial blue eyes I could no longer hear the sounds around me - _as if nothing existed outside of our exchange._

My eyes widened at the realisation as I knew it was a look of something not quite like lust. On the surface, it was a look of respect and admiration for a dear friend but there were also undertones of a burning passion which I doubt _even he_ could fathom.

 _"I have spent mein entire life so far zhinking zhat all vomen vere frail und meek... und brainless. Regardless of jour health... jou are zhe strongest und most exhilarating voman I have met. Jour brain, jour beauty... I am honoured to have known jou"_ , Richtofen whispered as my tears began to fall uncontrollably.

 _"Oh, for fuck sake,_ _ **JUST STOP IT**_ _! You men are_ _ **all**_ _the same... no matter how intelligent you are. You all seem so incapable of changing for the better that you just_ _ **wallow**_ _in your own self pity. You_ _ **ALLOW**_ _yourselves to self-destruct into oblivion,_ _ **no one**_ _has done this to you. Edward,_ _ **THIS IS YOUR DOING!**_ _You can't just_ _ **blame**_ _the world for your own shortcoming!"_ I cried as I felt a bubbling rage in stomach which swole up and erupted in my heart.

 _"You're just the same as the rest. I am giving you your way out yet you refuse to simply walk through the door._ _ **WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED?!**_ _"_ I shouted as I broke down at the latter.

His piercing blue eyes stared into my very soul as I looked up into his. He never said a word but simply pressed his lips against mine and held me tight. I no longer tried to resist or push back out of utter shock. My body felt limp as I felt his hands snake up my back. My handcuffed wrist slumped against the metal projector as he cradled the back of my head with one hand.

 _"Vhat do jou expect vould happen? Ve just run avay und live happily ever after?"_ Richtofen asked as he buried his face in my neck.

 _"YES! IT'S THAT SIMPLE!"_ I replied with exasperation.

 _"Vhat about mein ozher shelf? Jou could save jourshelf zhe hassle und choose zhe version of me who actually vants to change._ _Vhy_ _does it matter to_ _jou_ _zhat_ _**I**_ _change?"_ Richtofen asked bluntly and offhandishly - _clearly still annoyed at his other self._

 _"He isn't you"_ , I replied matter-of-fact. Richtofen looked at me with genuine shock. His lips parted as his eyes widened - _like my words were the last thing he expected to hear as my response._ He was jealous of Primis and felt sidelined.

 _"I've watched so many men do this to themselves. But it hurts so badly to see_ _ **you**_ _of all people do it"_ , I sighed. I held the nape of his neck with my free hand as I reached up and kissed the corner of his mouth. Richtofen responded by pressing me tighter against him as he kissed me back.

 _"Kiana, zhis is mein destiny--"_ , Richtofen tried to counter as he parted lips with me for that brief moment to speak. He then continued to press his lips against mine and as he quickly became overwhelmed by the close contact.

Suddenly, a click could be heard which pulled him from the ecstasy of the embrace. His eyes opened as he registered exactly what it was.

I looked up at him with burning resolve as, _I too_ , could play dirty. Richtofen likely carried a pair of handcuffs as part of his uniform but many of the undead officers still had theirs attached to their belt. When we were clearing out the theatre I decided to swipe a pair - _just in case._

 _"I cannot allow you to do this to yourself... you cannot see sense. For as long as I'm in this universe. I will follow you to the ends of this earth... and I_ _ **will**_ _stop you"_ , I reached up and whispered into his ear.

He smirked out of admiration before looking back into my eyes.

 _"Very clever, Kiana. I should have known jou vould put up a fight. But, all zhis means is zhat ve vill just have to_ _ **cut**_ _it off"_ , he sang menacingly as he indicated to my wrist - _his eyes emanating with viciousness._

 _"Above or below? Maybe jou could find some ice und have mein ozher shelf reattach it... if jou are lucky"_ , he whispered before producing his knife and holding our hands on the edge of the window.

 _"I vill be quick - I do not vish to cause jou too much pain"_ , he said as he raised his arm up in the air with the knife. He looked back at me with a look of hesitation as his violent manic expression quickly drained from his face. I looked up at him in horror before he turned back to look at my wrist.

And like a guillotine, the knife crashed down as I screamed and closed my eyes.

_End of part thirty-five..._


	38. Chapter Thirty-Six: The Innkeeper Pt.2

Before Richtofen met Dr Roth; he had initially turned up in Berlin in 1925 - _without a penny to his name._ At the age of 21, he had taken a carriage into the heart of the city in the dead of night. As the carriage carted away, he stood before the Brandenburg Gates with a hold-all containing the few belongings he had collected during his travels.

Richtofen hadn't eaten in the days it took to reach Berlin from Hamburg. To begin with, he was the type who neglected to look after himself when his mind was occupied with work or study. The strain of which had already left him looking rather gaunt and underweight before his twenties. But back in Hamburg, he struggled to earn enough money to eat.

His luck had soured and his connections in the city began to errode. He had picked too many fights with the criminal overlords and threatened to tip the balance of power they had worked to establish. By the end of his stay, he was forced to flee from the second floor window of the inn he had been staying at. Richtofen was always paranoid of his contacts in the unscrupulous underworld and opted to always sleep in his clothes in case the need for a quick escape ever arose.

One evening, his enemies sent their underlings to try and take him out in his sleep. Though, _unbeknownst to them_ , the man rarely slept. At 2am they barged through his door to find a vacant room as the curtains danced in the wind which blew through the open window. As he fled down dark alleys and through the narrow passageways between the packed buildings; Richtofen took the decision to leave Hamburg for good.

It was time to make a fresh start under a new alias. So, _the very same night_ , he began to hitch rides on the back of wagons and carriages as he made his way to Berlin. He had previously decided to visit the capital last in his tour of Germany - _until now._

The rain began to fall as he stood looking up at the Brandenburg Gates. His clothing was worn and frayed which provided little to no protection from the elements. It was a quiet night as not a soul could be seen walking the streets. The lights in the surrounding buildings were extinguished except for one window. The faint glow of candle light invited Richtofen as he felt compelled to make his way to it.

The light from the fellow night owl came from an inn across the cobbled road. The wet cobble stones glistened as they reflected the moonlight from above. Richtofen trunged his way over as he stepped in the puddles of water which collected on the road. As he approached the front door, the sign read _"Meyer Inn" -_ _which was beautifully painted in medieval script._

Richtofen entered through the door to be met by a roaring fire in the reception area. He dropped his bag and sunk into one of the antique chairs as he tried to warm himself up. His entrance was far from quiet which undoubtedly alerted the owner who he could hear walking above as the floorboards creaked and groaned. Richtofen straightened up as he heard a door open and someone make their way down the stairs.

Strangely, he felt anxious as he anticipated the impending encounter. He had no money to pay for a room and just wanted somewhere to keep out of the rain until the morning. But he seemed to dread whoever he was going to have to explain this to. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to don his usual persona and trick the poor soul into a free room. Usually, he would get the inns to give him a room on the promise that he would pay in the morning - _a promise he never kept._

Richtofen looked up as a man in his late fifties stopped at the bottom of the landing and looked at him. The man stood there looking on with genuine concern in his eyes as he saw the bag of bones sitting by the fire. This evoked mixed feelings in Richtofen as the thought of being pitied left him feeling odd. So he quickly jumped up and grabbed his bag to leave.

 _"I'm very sorry, zhe rain vas heavy und I needed a place to catch mein breazh"_ , Richtofen timidly explained without making eye contact. As he began making his way to the door the man spoke up.

 _"Please, make jourself comfortable. I am not here to chase jou out"_ , the man replied with a kind, gentle voice. Richtofen stopped in his tracks but couldn't bring himself to turn around and face him.

 _"I have a room available. It vould be my pleasure to have jou stay the night"_ , the man continued. Richtofen finally turned around and took a deep breath as he felt increasingly more uncomfortable with the experience.

 _"Mein Herr, I cannot accept. I have nozhing to pay jou vith"_ , Richtofen replied honestly. It was strange telling the truth for once - _instead of always bluffing._ The man smiled.

 _"Nein, zhe room is on zhe house. Do come along und I vill show jou zhe vay"_ , the man explained as he insisted Richtofen follow him. This put Richtofen on edge as any kindness shown to him had usually been bait for something more sinister - _especially amongst the people he tended to mix with._

Reluctantly, he followed the man whilst still keeping up his guard. But, his body was growing weaker without proper rest or food and this made him feel all the more vulnerable. The man took him up the stairs and down the narrow hallway lined with doors before stopping outside room number seven.

Richtofen stopped and looked at him suspiciously before the man opened the door and entered the room. It was a small room with a single bed, side table, table and chairs and a stove. The stove functioned as both a source of heat as well as for cooking. The man stopped and turned back to notice Richtofen standing by the threshold as he cautiously peered in at the room.

 _"Bitte, come in und make jourself at home"_ , the man gestured with a warm smile. Richtofen took one last look around before finally stepping in. He put his bag down as the man walked over to the stove and boiled the kettle which had been stationed nearby.

 _"Can I offer jou some tea or coffee?"_ The man politely asked as he awaited Richtofen's answer.

 _"Coffee, bitte"_ , Richtofen replied quietly. The man nodded and began making the coffee.

 _"Jou are not from here"_ , the man shouted over as he remained by the stove.

 _"N-nein"_ , Richtofen said timidly.

 _"Let me guess jour accent, it is definitely Bavarian... jour from Dinkelsbühl, ja?_ " The man accurately guessed - _which made Richtofen perk up in his chair._

 _"Ja, I am actually. How did jou know?!"_ Richtofen asked with genuine surprise.

 _"I have an ear for accents. I travelled all around Germany und yonder vhen I vas younger"_ , the man explained. This really piqued Richtofen's interest; but before he could reply, the kettle began to squeal which briefly interrupted their conversation. After a minute or two, the man brought over two cups and sat down at the table. He slid over the steaming cup of coffee as Richtofen peered into the blackness of the water.

 _"Ah, I forgot zhe milk"_ , the man said aloud as he got up and walked over to a small jug on the windowsill. Once he returned, Richtofen watched as the pure white milk swirled and mixed with the black coffee before merging into a dark tan liquid.

 _"My mind is not vhat it used to be"_ , the man explained as he sat back down.

 _"Vhat is jour name, boy?"_ The man asked before he sipped his cup of tea. Since Richtofen normally gave people an alias; no one outside of his village knew his real name. But this time, he felt compelled to tell the man the truth.

 _"Mein name is Edvard Richtofen"_ , Richtofen replied as he still felt strange from the new experience.

_He leaned over with anticipation as he eagerly awaited the stranger's introduction..._

_End of part thirty-six..._


	39. Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Innkeeper Pt. 2

_"Ah, hallo Edvard. I am Hans Meyer, zhe owner of zhis little inn. My wife und I opened it almost thirty years ago. Vhen she passed avay, many of our friends expected me to close it. But I couldn't bring myself to do it - zhis place gives me a purpose"_ , Hans explained. Richtofen nodded in sympathy for his wife but remained silent.

 _"I can see jou haven't eaten in days. Vould jou allow me to prepare somezhing for jou?"_ Hans asked - although he had already gotten up to do so before Richtofen could reply.

 _"I'm just heading down to zhe kitchen. I von't be long"_ , Hans sang with a cheery smile before he disappeared down the hall. Richtofen sat back in his chair in a daze. He couldn't believe how kind the man was... _and to him._ He wasn't used to this kind of reception - _which made his chest heavy as he could feel tears beginning to well up._

He quickly composed himself before getting up to inspect the room. The bed was quaint and homely which made Richtofen feel almost excited to try it out. As he lay on the bed looking around, his eye caught a small painting on the wall across. It was a landscape of the courtyard of an old Manor. Richtofen got up to inspect the watercolour before his eyes landed on the bottom left corner. There was writing which said _"Munchen 1914, Alter Hof"_ and a signature which read _"A. Hitler"_.

Richtofen walked over to his bag and tipped out it's contents on the bed. His belongings were truly meager as all he carried with him was a comb, toothbrush and a tin of hair wax. Aside from that, he had a small keepsake box filled with items he had found during his travels around Germany.

He laid the items on the side table before putting the box in the back of the bottom drawer. He felt strange being able to plant some kind of roots instead of always being ready for a flitting - _even if it was just for one night._ After doing so, he returned to the table and drank his coffee. His stomach grumbled and groaned as the hot liquid warmed his oesophagus before crashing into his empty stomach. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs causing him to tense out of habit.

Hans walked through the door with a smile, expertly carrying both plates in one hand, which he then sat in front of Richtofen. The mere sight of the food caused Richtofen's stomach to groan with impatience. Hans sat down and let out a jolly laugh.

 _"Zhere is more if jou vant it. Bitte, have a bite"_ , Hans said in his calm gentle voice. Before he could blink, Richtofen began scoffing down the food with little regard for etiquette. His arms began piling the food into his mouth of their own accord as he gulped down every bite. Hans smiled as if he had expected this reaction.

 _"Do remember to breathe!"_ Hans joked before Richtofen cleaned both plates. His stomach gurgled as it began to expand with it's new contents.

 _"Vhat happened to jou? How did zhis fate befall such a strapping young man?"_ Hans asked, as it clearly pained him to see Richtofen in such a bad way. Richtofen looked down at the table as his shoulders slumped.

 _"It's okay, it happens to zhe best of us. I'm just glad jou found jour vay here. I vould be honoured to have jou as a guest here until jou get jour strength up"_ , Hans announced which took Richtofen by surprise as he looked up at the man is shock.

 _"Stay here, get jourself back to health und I vill give jou a job vhen jou are feeling stronger"_ , Hans explained.

 _"Zhis is jour new start, ja? Allow me zhe pleasure of being jour first friend in jour new city"_ , Hans said warmly. _'Friend'_ , it was a word which was alien to Richtofen. And by now he was beyond overwhelmed by Hans' kindness. _In fact, he simply couldn't understand it._

 _"Vhy are jou doing zhis for me?"_ was all Richtofen could muster as his reply.

 _"Because I am in a position to help ozhers. No vone vas zhere for me vhen I vas in jour place. I simply got lucky"_ , Hans replied with a more serious tone.

 _"Vhen I left my village, I hadn't a penny to my name. My mozher sent me out to zhe big city because she didn't vant me trapped in zhe life of a peasant. She vanted me to do somezhing vith myself und have a comfortable life. She spent her last coin on a carriage ride here for me"_ , Hans explained.

 _"But I struggled to get on my feet und zhe last century saw zhe opening of zhe new factories of zhe industrial age. I foolishly zhought I could simply take on a job und get myself promoted to a better role. Zhe factory life zas hard but I didn't realise how hard life vas until I lost my lower arm in vone of zhe machines"_ , Hans said as Richtofen finally realised why he had carried everything with one hand.

 _"I lost my job at zhe factory. No vone vould take on someone disabled vhen 10 ozher able bodied men could do zhe job instead. I spent zhe next ten years living on zhe streets because I couldn't bear to return to my mozher empty-handed. Vork vas scarce und sometimes begging vas zhe only vay to get by"_ , Hans continued before pulling up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal his prosthesis.

 _"But, my luck did change for zhe better"_ , Hans added with a smile. Richtofen was completely engrossed in Hans' story as he eagerly waited for him to continue. _To which Hans obliged._

 _"I had bought myself a trumpet vith some money I'd saved up... before all this happened"_ , Hans said, gesturing to his arm.

 _"Vhen I vas on zhe streets I also vould play zhe trumpet und make money zhat vay. Vone day, I vas approached by a gentleman who owned a club not too far from here. He vould give me money for playing at his club vhich allowed me to afford a place to live. Vone of his patrons vas a prominent man who financed zhe Berlin Philharmonic back in 1882. His name vas Hermann Wolff. He saw me playing vone night und invited me to practice vith zhe orchestra. Everyone vas so amazed by how vell I played despite my disability zhat zhey asked me to join zhem on zhe next tour"_ , Hans said with a smile as he recounted the day.

 _"I travelled all around zhe vorld - und of course made a decent living. I zhen met my wife und ve married zhe next month"_ , Hans said with pride. Richtofen had barely blinked out of pure fascination; he was so engrossed in learning about Hans that he never uttered a word. _He just continued to listen intently._

 _"I decided I'd made enough money in zhe orchestra to open zhe inn vith my wife's help. Zhe years spent vith her vere zhe best years of my life"_ , Hans smiled.

 _"She vas my companion, my friend und zhe love of my life. But, all good zhings come to an end. Ve had a very good life togezher. She passed avay last year but I'm still getting used to life vithout her"_ , Hans said with a sigh.

 _"Anyvay! Enough about me, I vill leave jou to rest. Have a zhink about my offer und let me know in zhe morning"_ , Hans said as he winked. Richtofen's face already showed he intended to stay. He really liked Hans... _he was his first true friend._

Hans was delighted to have Richtofen's company around the inn. After a month, Richtofen was well enough to do work around the inn and began saving up his wages. It wasn't until 6 months later that Richtofen would meet Dr Roth and begin working at the local hospital. Though, Hans was relieved when Richtofen said he still wanted to stay at the inn whilst he did so.

Every evening after their work was seen to; Richtofen would listen to stories about Hans and his wife Eva. The way Hans' face would light up whenever he recounted his time with Eva caused Richtofen to pine for the same kind of love. It was pure companionship - _pure unconditional love that many lived_ _their_ _entire lives without ever being able to find_. The union between two souls who had beaten the odds and found their way to eachother.

Richtofen began to wonder who his soul mate would be. What would she look like? What would she be like? And, _most importantly_ , how would he find her? But he had always promised that he would never let her pass him by. At this stage in Richtofen's life, his perception of women was light-hearted and positive. It wasn't until he began to see the change some inspired in men that his views would contort and mutate. Much like Dr Roth's case.

Dr Roth's downfall created dissonance in Richtofen's mind. He began to wonder about and second guess Hans' stories. Maybe his marriage was a one off? _Perhaps he_ _had simply found the perfect woman._ Or maybe Hans just saw the past through rose tinted glasses? Both men's conflicting experiences with women had begun to warp and twist Richtofen's mind. Which was something that became cemented throughout his life as he met other men he considered brought down by women.

On the night Richtofen left Dr Roth's office - _broken and betrayed_ \- he returned to the inn that night with the pilfered medical equipment and supplies. When he passed through the reception and stormed up the stairs, Hans was alarmed by Richtofen's behaviour and immediately went to his room. The reception he received from Richtofen was cold and distant - _the side of him that Hans had never seen before._

That night, Richtofen had felt betrayed by both men. He may have lost his mentor with Dr Roth; but he felt that Hans had painted a dangerous picture of women. One that one day could have led to his own downfall.

Richtofen knew that the hospital would alert the authorities; so he left the inn much like he had arrived - _quietly in the dead of night_.

The next morning, when the police arrived, Richtofen was nowhere to be found. Hans had noticed the stolen supplies but opted to protect him during his interview with detectives. He had no idea what caused Richtofen to suddenly change but he still cared about him. Hans continued to run the inn awaiting the day Richtofen would return. But it wouldn't be for another twenty years when their paths would cross - _thanks to Wilhelm_.

At the age of 23, Richtofen had regressed and slithered back into the underworld as he quickly began establishing contacts in the underbelly of Berlin.

_But it was that night that Richtofen had truly hardened his heart..._

_End of part thirty-seven..._


	40. Update

The creativity is not great tonight. I wrote tonight's chapter but I'm just not happy with it. I can produce something so much better.

I was also working on an art project and had a small moment of madness and destroyed it to start again. I'm just not happy with anything I'm creating at the moment 😭

Sorry if I sound whiny and up my own butt. I can't create anything good when I'm feeling low 😞


	41. Chapter Thirty-Eight: Like You

Richtofen stood by the window gazing out into the night as he recounted his time with Hans. He had buried his past life when he joined Group 935 - _but the spectres of his past were slowly awakening._ His heart weighed on him and his stomach felt hollow. It was cold quiet nights like tonight which made it impossibleto evade these thoughts. The device he had now grown accustomed to lay on the desk nearby as it played another song - titled _"Streets by Doja Cat"_.

_"Like you,_   
_Like you,_   
_I found it hard to find someone like you"_

Richtofen's heart began to ache as the music played. His chest constricted with each breath. A month had passed since their encounter in the projector room. Since they fled the theatre, no one dared to speak about it. Richtofen and his men had finally made their way to his secret facility in Passau - _aptly named_ _"Ragnarök"._

He had chosen the name as it refers to great events which create a renewed earth, _in Germanic mythology._ The mood in the facility had been inescapably morose and melancholic and it wasn't about to let up any time soon.

_"I can't sleep no more_   
_In my head, we belong_   
_And I can't be without you_   
_Why can't I find no one like you?"_

Richtofen closed his eyes as he recounted the moment the knife crashed down. The blade's razor sharp edge embedded itself into the wooden sill as the wood warped and splintered with the force.

Richtofen had hung his head and averted his eyes from Kiana's gaze. He let go of the knife which remained lodged in the wood. Before it had landed, Richtofen watched as Kiana's eyes clamped shut before she let out a terrifying shrill wail. The way her face contorted into a painful grimace, the terror in her voice - _her anguish was too excruciating for him to bear_.

Richtofen stood in silence - _unable to say a word._ Kiana breathlessly looked on in shock as she anticipated what he would do next. After what felt like an eternity, Richtofen took a deep breath before finally lifting his head and looking down at her.

 _"I told jou... I_ _ **cannot**_ _hurt jou. I_ _ **cannot**_ _bring meinshelf to do it. But_ _ **still**_ _, jou do not trust me..."_ Richtofen whispered lowly before looking back down at the handcuffs which bound them together.

 _"Jou are going to have to do better zhen zhis if jou vant to shtop me"_ , Richtofen added as he tried to force a smile which refused to form. Kiana remained silent as she tried to calm her ragged breathing.

Richtofen quietly produced a paperclip from his pocket before manipulating it and breaking it's original shape. After a few seconds, he expertly inserted the paperclip and wriggled it around. As the point of the paperclip slid around inside the mechanism of the cuff, it caught against a piece of metal. There was a satisfactory click before Richtofen shook off the cuff.

 _"Jou really zhought zhat_ ** _zhese_** _vould shtop me? I have buried meinshelf in all zhis papervork for years - mein pockets are alvays brimming vith paperclips"_ , Richtofen decried as he gestured over to his desk full of papers. He had tried to joke at the latter in his usual hyperbolic manner but the heavy mood sullied any attempts to be light-hearted.

Kiana remained chained to the projector with the other cuff now dangling from her wrist. She knew Richtofen had no intention of freeing her but it was made all the more clear when he placed the paperclip back in his pocket. After breathing a heavy sigh, she finally looked up at him and spoke.

 _"What do you intend to do with me, doc?"_ Kiana said quietly. Richtofen looked down at her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders before whispering in her ear.

 _"I vill make sure mein ozher shelf finds jou. But from now on -- I_ _vant_ _jou_ _to do_ _better_ _zhan_ _zhis"_ , Richtofen whispered as he buried his face in her hair. Kiana lifted her free arm and wrapped it around his waist. Richtofen's words echoed hauntingly - _he actually wanted her to stop him._

 _"If jou know how zhis shtory goes - like jou claim - zhen jou should know exactly_ _ **vhere**_ _I vill go und_ _ **vhat**_ _I vill do"_ , Richtofen said condescendingly as his words rotted with doubt. He had never believed Kiana's claims. Everything she said could be explained rationally, _he told himself._ How could a man of science believe such nonsense? There _were_ limits to what was possible.

Parallel universes were one thing. But having someone claim that they were from a universe where you existed as a mere fictional story was something entirely different. Her universe seemed to exist completely outside of his own, _and to him_ , that simply wasn't possible. Of course, he knew the others would believe her. He was the only one who remained level-headed whilst the rest allowed themselves to be deceived. They _were_ men after all - _it took a man of exceptional discipline to not succumb to a woman's spell._

But Kiana knew. She was capable of navigating the tangled thorns of his mind. And she knew that Richtofen was running from the truth. No matter what or how much evidence she could show him; it would still result in denial and dismissal. He could not accept that his grand scheme was just a story. _Or that the promise of ascension was a_ _lie_ _._

 _"I vill undershtand if jou cannot meet zhe challenge. Zhere is no need to be hard on jourshelf"_ , Richtofen whispered which snapped Kiana from her thoughts. She felt his arms recede as his body pulled away. He walked over to his desk and pulled papers before putting them in his pocket.

 _"I am not going to make it so easy for jou"_ , Richtofen sang with a smile - _indicating to the papers._ He turned away as he prepared to leave.

 _"Why are you hiding from the truth... Edward?"_ Kiana whispered, causing Richtofen to flinch as he finally heard her call him by his first name. His body softened as he turned to look back at her before he shook the infatuation from his eyes - _replacing the look with disdain._

 _"Jou come here, jou zhink jou can just put a_ ** _shpanner_** _in zhe vorks... jou_ ** _zhink_** _jou can_ ** _charm_** _me und use jour_ ** _femininity_** _to distract me. Jou vomen are_ ** _all_** _zhe same. So many great men have fallen to jour vays -- BUT I VILL NOT BECOME VONE OF ZHEM!"_ Richtofen raised his voice before he became encased in the electric mist - _leaving_ _Kiana_ _shackled and alone._

Richtofen emerged from the stage teleporter and flung himself back into the carnage of the undead. He unloaded the magazine of his MP40 into the gnashing hordes as the adrenaline of anger sped through his veins. Primis had stayed by the teleporter waiting for Kiana before lunging and ambushing Richtofen when he realised she wasn't there.

 _"_ ** _Vhere is she?!_** _"_ Primis growled as his eyes widened in horror. Richtofen smiled before gesturing to the teleporter.

 _"Jou vill have to vait until it recharges und shee for jourshelf"_ , Richtofen sneered with a malicious grin. The colour drained from Primis' face as he fell to his knees in shock. Richtofen looked down at him before walking behind and striking him. His body slumped against the teleporter as Richtofen walked away with cold calculating eyes.

The others had made it to the lobby to leave through the main entrance. As they struggled to hold their ground they breathed a sigh of relief upon finally seeing Richtofen walking toward them. But that relief quickly changed to panic and worry when Kiana and Primis were nowhere to be seen.

 _"_ ** _Where are they?!_** _"_ Dempsey demanded as Richtofen ignored him and continued walking. He stopped at the barricaded doors before announcing the group's commands.

 _"Ve_ _musht_ _leave now! Mein patients are going to overrun us if_ _ve_ _shtay_ _any longer!"_ Richtofen commanded. Dempsey unholstered his secondary pistol before making a beeline and grabbing Richtofen.

 _"_ ** _WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO, FREAK?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!_** _"_ Dempsey's voice cracked as the panic in his voice overwhelmed him. Richtofen laughed and put a hand on his shoulder.

 _"Oh, I didn't kill her -- or Primis. Zhey shimply succumbed mein patients"_ , Richtofen sniggered callously. Dempsey looked up at him in horror as his eyes welled up.

 _"_ ** _How could you?_** _HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HER?"_ Dempsey cried as the tears ran down his face. Richtofen smiled - _clearly enjoying Dempsey's pain._

 _"Oh, Dempshey. I did_ ** _everyzhing_** _I could. I'm only vone man"_ , Richtofen replied sarcastically which angered Dempsey. As Dempsey stood glaring at Richtofen; he eyed the gun in his hand.

 _"Oh,_ _ **ja**_ _._ _ **Shoot**_ _me_ _ **right now**_ _und_ _ **shee**_ _how_ _ **long**_ _jou survive!"_ Richtofen goaded Dempsey with brazen confidence.

" _Jou_ ** _could_** _shtay und try und find vhat is_ ** _left_** _of zhem zhough... I don't_ ** _care_** _vhether jou come vith us, American"_ , Richtofen hissed with pure venom. Dempsey stood trembling with anger before Richtofen leaned forward.

 _"Jou know_ _ **how much**_ _I vould_ ** _love_** _to shee mein patients_ ** _tear_** _zhe flesh from jour bones"_ , Richtofen whispered with deranged eyes.

 _"Dempsey, we have to go! There is no use in us all dying!"_ Takeo interrupted pragmatically. Richtofen smirked at Dempsey as he finally relented and the men turned to leave.

They tore through the remaining barriers and ran out onto the street. They _needed_ Richtofen to survive - _and, as usual, he obliged._ He _loved_ the power he had over their lives. How he could toy with Dempsey and still have his unwavering cooperation. The power he weilded over the lives of others was as intoxicating as Bacchus' wine. _And it was something he never wanted to give up._

Over the next month, they fought their way through Samantha's hordes as they journeyed through the ruins of Germany.

_End of part thirty-eight..._


	42. Chapter Thirty-Nine: Cat And Mouse

Kiana watched as the electrified mist evaporated. She stood cuffed to the projector as her heart raced and her mind began to formulate an escape plan. She turned her head as she heard Richtofen emerge from the stage teleporter. She watched Richtofen and Primis' altercation before Primis was struck from behind.

When he was first knocked out by Richtofen at the teleporter; there were plenty of undead around who could have attacked him. His body slumped against the machine as his sharp German features softened and relaxed. Whilst he lay there unable to defend himself; the first creature to spot him was a nova six crawler. It slowly wound its way down from the ceiling and across the walls before finally landing on the stage.

The viridescent gas oozed from the creature's body as it began twitching and limping towards Primis. When the nova six crawler reached him; it stood before Primis and opened it's mouth to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth. It strained and stretched out its neck as it leaned forward - _almost touching his face._ Saliva dripped from its mouth as it released putrid green vapours which escaped before dissipating and diluting in the musty air.

Kiana felt the panic course through her body as she eyed the situation - _completely powerless to help._ There were undead scattered about the stage who had also begun to notice Primis. Their bodies convulsed and their faces distorted in agony before they lifted their heads. As their noses picked up his scent, they followed it and slowly shambled their way to him as the crowd of undead began to encircle him behind the crawler.

Richtofen began making his way to the lobby before stopping and looking up. He had donned his callous persona again. The one everyone saw - _the one which earned him the nickname of "The Butcher"._ His lips twisted as he smiled up and waved goodbye. Kiana anxiously eyed the handcuffs as she wrestled with the chains connecting the cuffs.

She began twisting the links against eachother as they began to tense and seize. Once the links were at their tightest, she gritted her teeth and she prepared herself. Her hand held the cuff whilst her wrist readied the other cuff to apply an opposite force. After a deep breath, she quickly twisted the cuffs against eachother as the links began to tremble with the pressure.

Kiana looked back outside to see the undead beginning to gather around Primis. They looked on behind as the crawler then let out a high pitched wail - _it's muscles tensed like a coiled spring._ The crowd of undead writhed in anticipation as they also readied their assault. Her face went white as she turned back to the cuffs. The sudden rush of adrenaline flushed through her veins before releasing in a burst of strength. The first link collapsed and the others quickly followed suit. Pieces of metal fell to the floor and the chain between the cuffs broke away.

With her newfound freedom, Kiana rushed to the window as she looked on in horror. But, _before any of the undead could lunge forward,_ their eyes went vacant as they became locked in a trance. Kiana cocked her head to one side - _baffled by their strange behaviour._

After a few seconds, the horde simply turned and shambled away. They crept across the threatre as they then pursued Richtofen and his men. Primis remained unconscious - _completely oblivious to the danger he had just been in._ But most importantly, he had been oblivious to the _phenomenon_ which had just saved his life. 

Kiana's eyes widened as she watched in bewilderment as the horde made their way to the lobby. Once the crowd had cleared, she breathed a sigh of relief as the weight of anxiety lifted from her shoulders - _Primis lay unharmed._ Kiana turned and hurried around the room as she tried to figure out how she could get out.

She noticed that the door to the projector room was bolted shut and proceeded to slide open the bolts and flung open the door. Her heart sank as the stairwell was barricaded and blocked with furniture and filing cabinets - _which the theatre's previous inhabitants no doubt believed would protect them._ She tried to climb over and under the blockade as she squeezed her way through. With great difficulty, she finally made it down the stairwell and braced herself for whatever was waiting on the other side of the next door.

Kiana breathed a ragged sigh as she unholstered her pistol. She opened the door to reveal a narrow corridor which branched off into two. As her body shook with urgency; she paused for a second before she made her way down the right path. It led to a corridor with various rooms which Kiana anxiously made her way through. The rooms and offices finally led to somewhere more familiar as she ran down the metal stairs and onto the stage.

As Kiana approached the teleporter, she took a deep breath and braced herself before proceeding. She looked around the machine to see Primis still laying unconscious. Her body relaxed as she confirmed he was indeed unscathed. Kiana holstered her pistol and quickly knelt down beside Primis and felt his pulse. As she gently pressed her fingers against his neck; she felt his pulse beat against them. Suddenly, Primis grabbed her wrist as his eyes shot open.

 _"_ _Kiana_ _..._ _jou_ _are_ _alive"_ , Primis whispered as his eyes glistened with tears. Kiana put her other hand on his shoulder and smiled.

 _"I'm okay... you're not going to get rid of me that easily"_ , she replied sarcastically. They both smiled before Primis clutched the back of his head.

 _"Zhat_ _bastard_ _!"_ Primis spat with annoyance.

 _"Vhat did he do up_ _zhere_ _?"_ He added. Kiana felt a sharp pang as she thought about their exchange. Her chest felt tight before she paused to compose herself.

 _"Richtofen still_ _doesn't_ _believe_ _me._ _He just_ _doesn't want to_ _face the truth"_ , Kiana whispered in a faint voice. Her eyes stung with tears as she clamped them shut in a vain attempt to conceal this from Primis.

 _"He is beyond help,_ _Kiana_ _"_ , Primis whispered back. He sat up and placed a hand on her shoulder before pulling her against him. Kiana began to sob as her whimpers and cries were muffled against his shoulder.

 _"He is sick. Some_ _people_ _cannot be saved"_ , Primis said matter-of-fact. The words caused Kiana to suddenly stop and look up at him.

 _"But we still have to try. We_ _can't_ _let him do this!"_ Kiana protested.

 _"I know_ _jou_ _reciprocate his feelings_ _\--_ _**our feelings**_ _\--_ _but he is extremely dangerous"_ , Primis replied as his words took Kiana by surprise.

 _"Und he vould sooner destroy himself zhan ever sheeing sense. I need_ _jou_ _to undershtand_ _zhis_ _. I do not_ _vant_ _to_ _shee_ _jou_ _get_ _hurt"_ , Primis explained as he kept one arm around Kiana. She leaned against his chest as he enveloped her in his arms.

 _"Oh Edward,_ _I'm_ _so sorry for_ _what_ _happened -- to both_ _of_ _you. Neither of you_ _deserved_ _such a hard_ _life_ _"_ , Kiana whispered as her warm breath kissed his neck.

 _"But_ _you_ _**can**_ _change the future._ _ **Both**_ _of_ _you_ _can"_ , Kiana added as Primis turned to look down at her.

 _"Edward, I think he wants_ _ **me**_ _to_ _stop_ _him. His choice of words, he wants me to_ _ **prove**_ _that I_ _ **can**_ _stop_ _him"_ , Kiana cried as the tears overwhelmed her. Primis lifted a hand to cradle the back of her head.

 _"It is a game of cat_ _und_ _mouse_ _zhen_ _?"_ Primis asked as Kiana looked up at him.

She dried her tears and gave him a soft smile. She slowly helped Primis up and steadied him with his arm over her shoulder.

 _"I couldn't let_ _jou_ _do_ _zhis_ _alone,_ _ja_ _?"_ Primis smiled.

_End of part thirty-nine..._


	43. Book 2???

So I was thinking of writing the next part of the story in it's own book. 

I was thinking "Into The Aether" could be book one in a series?

What is everyone's thoughts about splitting the story across multiple books rather than one?

I have a lot of stuff I want to write about for this story and it would at least mean that I don't have to rush through events etc. 

Hope to hear from everyone 🥰🥰🥰

Also, I'm going to upload the next part tomorrow once I know whether I'm putting it into another book. Just wanted to wait and ask first 😅


	44. Book Two Has Arrived! 😭❤

So I decided to go with making book two. I can't thank everyone enough for taking the time to let me know your thoughts! ❤❤❤ xxx

My next book is titled _"No Turning_ _Back"_. You can search it up or access it via my page.

I have also included a link here if it's easier. Fingers crossed the link will work!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27945947

If anyone has any trouble finding it please don't hesitate to let me know and I'll help you 🥰🥰🥰

Thank you so much everyone for continuing to enjoy the story. I can't describe in words how much I appreciate all the love and kind messages 😭😭😭❤❤❤ xxx

**Author's Note:**

> I'll continue to post a chapter every other day 😊❤ xxx


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